Syngas is produced from the gasification of organic resources under conditions of limited oxygen and is composed mostly of carbon monoxide and hydrogen which provide the building blocks to produce a number of organic compounds.
Several chemicals are currently commercially produced from syngas including hydrogen, ammonia (for fertilizers), methanol (used as a fuel or as a building block chemical to produce other chemicals used in the construction industry, in solvents, in paints, and in plastics), and aldehydes used in detergents, flavorings, cosmetics, and healthcare products such as Vitamin A). Other alcohols (such as ethanol), synthetic gasolines and diesel fuels (using Fischer-Tropsch synthesis processes), and other organic chemicals can also be made from syngas. At present, most of these products use natural gas or coal as the feedstock, but biomass resources could also be used.