US-headed global industrial technologies, processes, and performance materials major Honeywell International Inc (Honeywell) has announced the launch of a new, innovative ethanol-to-jet fuel processing technology that allows producers to convert corn-based, cellulosic, or sugar-based ethanol into sustainable aviation fuel. Depending on the type of ethanol feedstock used, jet fuel produced from Honeywell’s process can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 80 percent on a total lifecycle basis, compared to petroleum-based jet fuel the company says.
Demand for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) continues to grow, yet the aviation industry is challenged by limited supplies of traditional SAF feedstocks such as vegetable oils, animal fats, and waste oils.
Ethanol offers producers a widely available, economically viable feedstock. Honeywell’s ready-now technology uses high-performance catalysts and heat management capabilities to maximize production efficiency, resulting in a cost-effective, lower carbon-intensity aviation fuel.
A 2021 life-cycle analysis by the US Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory concluded that Ethanol-to-Jet (EtJ) conversion, combined with other technologies such as carbon capture, utilization, and sequestration (CCUS) and smart farming practices, can result in negative greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions compared to petroleum-based jet fuel.
Honeywell pioneered SAF production with its Ecofining technology, and our new ethanol-to-jet fuel process builds on that original innovation to support the global aviation sector’s efforts to reduce GHG emissions and meet SAF production targets with an abundant feedstock like ethanol. Honeywell’s ethanol-to-jet process, when used as a standalone or when coupled with Honeywell carbon capture technology, is ready now to provide a pathway to lower carbon-intensity SAF, said Barry Glickman, VP, and General Manager of Honeywell Sustainable Technology Solutions.
Enable rapid and cost-efficient SAF build-out
SAF plants using Honeywell’s technology can be modularized off-site enabling lower installed costs and faster, less labor-intensive installation compared to job site construction.
By utilizing Honeywell’s ethanol-to-jet fuel technology and an integrated, modular construction approach, producers can build new SAF capacity more than a year faster than is possible with traditional construction approaches.
Petroleum refiners and transportation fuel producers can also benefit from Honeywell’s EtJ design which is purpose-built to enable the conversion of current or idle facilities into SAF production plants, potentially maximizing the use of existing sites for SAF production to meet the growing market demand.
