Honeywell introduces new technology that produces low-cost renewable fuels from biomass

Honeywell announced Oct. 28 the introduction of a breakthrough technology that converts agricultural and forestry waste into ready-to-use renewable fuels for hard-to-abate sectors, such as the maritime industry.

The technology produces lower-carbon marine fuel, gasoline and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) from inexpensive and abundant biomass sources like wood chips and crop residues.

For ship operators, these ready-to-use or drop-in fuels provide a cost-effective and lower-carbon alternative to traditional heavy fuel oil.

According to Honeywell, with higher energy density than many current biofuel alternatives, this renewable marine fuel can extend a vessel’s range without requiring costly engine upgrades.

“Honeywell continues to drive innovation in the areas that our customers need most,” said Ken West, president of Honeywell Energy and Sustainability Solutions. “The maritime industry has a real need for renewable fuels that are immediately available and cost effective. Our biocrude-upgrading processing technology can be delivered in modular form, offering savings from the point of installation through to refining and use.”

Plant and agricultural waste can be converted into lower-carbon biocrude at the feedstock collection sites, which keeps transport costs low.

Honeywell’s new process technology enables biocrude to then be refined at major facilities to produce marine fuel, gasoline or SAF.

This helps solve long-standing challenges with converting biocrudes into fuels with performance comparable to conventional fuel, Honeywell stated.

Biocrude-upgrading process technology can be delivered in the form of a prefabricated modular plant.

As a result, Honeywell said it can help customers reduce risk and accelerate project timelines by simplifying site-construction activity.

Honeywell said the introduction of its biocrude-upgrading process technology comes as shipping companies seek to reduce their carbon footprints due to customer demands and regulatory drivers.

Since the 1960s, heavy fuel oil—residual products from the refining of gasoline, diesel and kerosene—has been the principal energy source for the maritime sector and a main source of its roughly 3 percent contribution of global greenhouse-gas emissions.

For more than a decade, Honeywell has provided process technologies for renewable and alternative fuels using various feedstocks.

Honeywell said its new biocrude-upgrading technology is complementary to the company’s renewable fuels portfolio, which includes Ecofining™, ethanol-to-jet technology, Fischer-Tropsch Unicracking™ technology and UOP eFining™, a process that converts green hydrogen and carbon dioxide into eFuels.