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One of America’s major industrial conglomerates, Honeywell is exploring increasing sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production and decarbonising Indian aviation and shipping industries through technology transfer in the biofuel supply chain.
It is looking at up to 11 pathways for feedstock variability, including solid waste and cooking oil for this.
Additionally, Honeywell plans to licence at least an ecofining processing unit and operationalise it in India, said senior executives of Honeywell India.
This initiative follows Honeywell's collaboration with AM Green on February 11, aimed at advancing carbon capture and SAF efforts in India.
“In terms of biofuels, we believe India has substantial potential after ethanol in the transport sector. We are also exploring feedstock variability alongside methanol and ethanol. Universal oil products (UOP) can utilise 11 different pathways for feedstock conversion. We can process used cooking oil, waste fats and greases, ethanol, methanol, CO2, and even municipal solid waste to create fuels. These are diesel, naphtha, SAF, green olefins, and other green molecules that represent building blocks of the future,” Ranjit Kulkarni, vice-president and general manager, energy and sustainability solutions, Honeywell India, told Business Standard during India Energy Week.
Kulkarni added, “Currently, we are seeking region-specific solutions tailored for local needs across the country. Each option will have its specific application, and we are endeavouring to implement several of these solutions in relevant areas.”
Last year, Honeywell launched a new technology aimed at producing 3-5 per cent more SAF while enabling a cost reduction of up to 20 per cent. Also, it minimised byproduct waste compared to other commonly used hydroprocessing technologies.
Rajesh Gattupalli, president of Honeywell UOP, emphasised the current global reliance on core energy resources. He said, “Today, we need core oil and gas to sustain ourselves until renewable energy sources are fully realised. Renewables are still in the early stages. Currently, SAF meets less than 1 per cent of global jet fuel demand, indicating that we have a long way to go. As a technology provider, we are committed to supporting the sector in increasing SAF usage to meet net-zero goals sustainably.”
Currently, the aviation sector uses aviation turbine fuel (ATF) while the shipping sector typically relies on heavy oils or bunker fuel.
SAF is a biofuel that can be produced from waste oils and fats, green waste, and non-food crops, potentially reducing CO2 emissions by up to 80 per cent, depending on the feedstock and technology used.
India aims to achieve a 1 per cent SAF blend in jet fuel for international flights by 2027, which will increase to 2 per cent by 2028.
This goal is a significant step towards reducing aviation emissions in the country and is part of India's broader objective to attain net-zero emissions by 2070.
In 2016, the International Civil Aviation Organization adopted the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation to address CO2 emissions from international flights, with India expected to implement it by 2027.
The company is actively engaging with developers on all fronts regarding various feedstock pathways.
While commercial applications are anticipated soon, their feasibility will depend on factors such as offtake agreements, pricing agreements, and feedstock confirmation over the next 10-15 years.
Regarding the licensing and operationalisation of ecofining processing units in India, they indicated that the company is eager to proceed and is awaiting customers.
“Licensing a unit depends upon when a customer is going to make a decision. It's not us who are taking a call on their behalf,” Gattupalli said.
Globally, more than 50 units have been commercially licensed with Honeywell’s SAF technologies, and 10 are already operational.
With the incorporation of this technology, the refineries are expected to exceed a combined capacity of over 500,000 barrels of renewable fuel per day once fully operational.
