Honeywell today announced the launch of a new innovative ethanol-to-jet fuel (ETJ) processing technology that enables producers to convert corn, cellulose or sugar-based ethanol into sustainable jet fuel (SAF). Depending on the type of ethanol feedstock used, Honeywell’s ethanol-to-jet fuel process produces an 80 percent reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions over its entire lifecycle compared to petroleum-based jet fuel.
Demand for SAF continues to grow, but the aviation industry is challenged by the limited supply of traditional SAF feedstocks such as vegetable oils, animal fats and waste oils. Ethanol provides producers with a widely available, economically viable feedstock. Honeywell’s off-the-shelf technology uses high-performance catalysts and thermal management capabilities to maximize production efficiency to produce cost-effective, low-carbon-strength aviation fuels.
A 2021 life cycle analysis at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory concluded that, combined with other technologies such as carbon capture and storage (CCUS) and smart farming practices, the conversion of ethanol to jet fuel could lead to greenhouse gas Gas emissions are negative for petroleum-based jet fuel.
“Honeywell pioneered SAF production with its Ecofining technology, and our new ethanol-to-jet fuel process builds on this original innovation to support the global aviation industry’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and enable SAF production from abundant feedstocks such as ethanol goals,” said Barry Glickman, vice president and general manager of Honeywell’s Sustainable Technology Solutions Group. “Honeywell’s ethanol injection process, when used alone or in combination with Honeywell’s carbon capture technology, is now poised to provide a pathway to reducing carbon intensity SAF.”
SAF plants using Honeywell technology can be modularized off-site, resulting in lower installation costs, faster and less labor-intensive installations than on-site construction. By leveraging Honeywell’s ETJ technology and integrated modular construction methods, producers can build new SAF capacity more than a year faster than traditional construction methods.
Refineries and transportation fuel producers can also benefit from Honeywell’s ETJ design, which is designed to convert existing or idle facilities into SAF production plants, maximizing the use of existing SAF production sites to meet growing market demand.
In 2021, the Biden administration announced the Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Grand Challenge for the U.S. aviation fuel supply sector to produce at least 3 billion gallons of SAF per year by 2030 and reduce aviation emissions by 20%, with an ultimate goal of 2050 100% of U.S. aviation fuel needs are met through SAF. Also in 2021, the European Council released its “Fit 55” package, which aims to increase the sustainable fuel share of EU airports from at least 2% in 2025 to at least 63% by 2050. These and other incentives, including the Reduced Inflation Act, accelerated the need for alternative SAF feedstocks to meet demand.
Click here to learn more about Honeywell’s ethanol injection technology.
Honeywell is committed to carbon neutrality in its operations and facilities by 2035. This commitment builds on the company’s track record of significantly reducing the greenhouse gas intensity of its operations and facilities and its decades-long history of innovation helping customers meet their environmental and social goals. About 60 percent of Honeywell’s new product introduction R&D investments go to products that improve environmental and social outcomes for customers.