Aviation is one of the few industries that can’t easily move away from combustion power because batteries are just too heavy. So, until that changes, we’re stuck with jet fuel and avgas, but some companies, like Honeywell, are working to make aviation fuel cleaner and greener through the use of biofuels.
According to a report published by Reuters, Honeywell announced that a new technology that it has developed could help dramatically increase the production of ethanol-based fuels, which could significantly decrease the aviation industry’s carbon footprint. This technology can increase the production efficiency of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) to lower costs. The airline sector is considered one of the most difficult to decarbonize as fuel cannot be easily replaced with other kinds of power. Oil refiners have been trying to increase the production of SAF to try to lower emissions.
Demands and feedbacks
“As demand for SAF has increased, we’ve been looking at different ways to make more SAF economically that people can adopt and adapt at large-scale and produce to displace significant fractions of the jet and diesel pools,” Kevin O’Neil, senior business leader for renewable fuels at Honeywell UOP, said.
The company says, depending on the type of ethanol feedstock used, that its technology can cut greenhouse gas emissions by 80% on a total lifecycle basis compared with petroleum-based jet fuel. In September 2021, the Biden administration launched an effort to boost output to at least 3 billion gallons of SAF per year by 2030 and have enough SAF by 2050 “to meet 100% of aviation fuel demand, currently projected to be around 35 billion gallons a year.” According to Honeywell, depending on the feedstock used, its technology could decrease greenhouse gas emissions by up to 80 percent versus petroleum-based fuels.
Productions and Efficiency
Honeywell’s technology can increase the production efficiency of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) to lower costs. The airline sector is considered one of the most difficult to decarbonize as fuel cannot be easily replaced with other kinds of power. Oil refiners have been trying to increase the production of SAF to try to lower emissions. The recent Inflation Reduction Act, a massive climate bill that includes incentives for lower-carbon fuels, is also likely to accelerate demand for SAF feedstocks.
Many producers have chosen to make sustainable aviation fuel from feedstocks with lower carbon intensity, such as grease and animal fat.
