Turkish refiner to produce renewable diesel, SAF in Izmir

Photo: Honeywell

Honeywell announced July 7 that Tüpraş will license Honeywell UOP Ecofining™ technology to produce biofuels from feedstocks such as used cooking oil and waste animal fat at its refinery in Izmir, Turkey.

The new Ecofining™ plant is being designed to convert approximately 348,600 gallons per day of waste feedstocks to sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), renewable diesel and other products.

Apart from SAF, biobased naphtha and biobased liquified petroleum gas are used in the production of plastics, specifically olefins that are building blocks for other chemicals and aromatics used to produce polyester and other packaging materials.

Depending on feedstock choice, renewable diesel and SAF, which are produced from the Ecofining™ process, are expected to result in a significant reduction in lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions compared to conventional diesel or aviation fuel from petroleum. Honeywell is an early pioneer in SAF production with its Ecofining™ technology, which has been used to produce SAF commercially since 2016.

“As Tüpraş, we have set out to become carbon neutral by 2050, as we expand into new sustainable business areas,” said Serdar Kemaloğlu, assistant general manager of technical affairs at Tüpraş. “A large portion of our investments will be allocated to new energy sources such as sustainable aviation fuels, green hydrogen and zero-carbon electricity. Biofuels will play a major role in the decarbonization of the industry. We aim to process 400,000 tons of bio feedstock by 2030 and triple our sustainable aviation fuel production capacity by 2035. We plan to become the largest SAF supplier in our country. In line with our future roadmap, Tüpraş selected Honeywell Ecofining™ technology to produce sustainable aviation fuel from plant- and animal-based waste feedstocks because it produces high yields of high-value renewable products.”

Uygar Doyuran, president of Honeywell Turkey, added, “This project is the first awarded in Turkey and is significant because renewable fuels from waste feedstocks are the key to reducing the refining industry’s carbon footprint and meeting regulatory compliance. We, as Honeywell, are proud to be implementing this technology, which we pioneered, for the first time in our country, together with Tüpraş.”

The Honeywell UOP Ecofining™ process, developed in conjunction with Italy-based refiner Eni, can convert waste plant-based oils, animal fats and other waste feedstocks to renewable diesel and SAF.

Honeywell recently committed to achieve carbon neutrality in its operations and facilities by 2035. About half of Honeywell’s new product introduction research and development investment is directed toward products that improve environmental and social outcomes for customers.

Based in Izmir, Izmit, Kirikkale and Batman, Tüpraş is the first producer in the refining sector in Turkey, and the largest industrial enterprise in the country. This makes it the seventh largest in Europe, operating four oil refineries with a total of 30 million tons of annual crude oil processing capacity.

Tüpraş is also among the few refineries in the Mediterranean region with a high complexity—an average Nelson Complexity Index of 9.5. The company launched its carbon-neutrality target by 2050 as part of its strategic transformation plan, focusing on four business areas: sustainable refining, zero-carbon electricity, green hydrogen, and biofuels.