Honeywell—one of the pioneers of the Fischer-Tropsch (FT) sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production processing pathway—has improved its hydrocracking technology, enabling it to produce SAF that is 90% less carbon-intensive than conventional jet fuel. According to the company, the new processes can increase production from biomass by up to 5% and reduce costs by up to 20% while reducing byproduct waste streams. It will also expand SAF feedstocks.
“As demand for SAF continues to grow, the aviation industry is challenged by limited supplies of traditional SAF feedstocks such as vegetable oils, animal fats, and waste oils,” said Honeywell Energy and Sustainability Solutions president and CEO Ken West. “When combined with the existing Fischer–Tropsch process, our new technology will expand the feedstock options available in the industry to sources that are more plentiful, ultimately helping improve our customers' ability to produce SAF.”
The process—known by Honeywell as FT Unicracking—has been selected by startup sustainable fuels producer DG Fuels for its planned $4 billion low-emission biofuel refinery in Louisiana. Once operational in 2028, it will be the world’s largest SAF production facility using the FT process, with an output of 13,000 barrels a day. Combined, more than 50 locations globally have licensed Honeywell’s technologies and, according to the company, those refineries are projected to produce more than a half-billion barrels of SAF a day when fully operational.