Honeywell (NASDAQ: HON) has unveiled a pioneering technology that transforms agricultural and forestry residues into ready-to-use renewable fuels, targeting sectors that are traditionally difficult to decarbonize, such as maritime transport. The technology generates lower-carbon marine fuels, gasoline, and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) from widely available, low-cost biomass, including wood chips and crop residues.
For shipping operators, these “drop-in” fuels offer a practical and lower-emission alternative to conventional heavy fuel oil. With a higher energy density than many existing biofuels, Honeywell’s renewable marine fuel allows vessels to travel longer distances without requiring expensive engine modifications.
“Honeywell continues to innovate where it matters most for our customers,” said Ken West, President of Honeywell Energy and Sustainability Solutions. “The maritime sector urgently needs renewable fuels that are both cost-effective and readily deployable. Our Biocrude Upgrading technology can be provided in modular form, delivering efficiency and savings from installation through refining and end-use.”
Converting Waste to Low-Carbon Biocrude
Honeywell’s process can convert plant and agricultural waste into lower-carbon biocrude directly at feedstock collection sites, minimizing transportation costs. This biocrude can then be refined at large-scale facilities to produce marine fuel, gasoline, or SAF, addressing the long-standing challenge of creating renewable fuels with performance comparable to conventional options.
The Biocrude Upgrading technology is available as a prefabricated modular plant, simplifying construction, reducing risk, and accelerating project timelines for customers.
Advancing Sustainable Fuels for the Maritime Industry
The introduction of this technology comes at a time when shipping companies face increasing pressure from regulatory bodies and customers to reduce their carbon emissions. Since the 1960s, heavy fuel oil—residual byproducts from refining gasoline, diesel, and kerosene—has been the dominant energy source for maritime transport and is responsible for approximately 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
Honeywell has more than a decade of experience providing process technologies for renewable and alternative fuels from diverse feedstocks. The new Biocrude Upgrading technology complements Honeywell’s existing renewable fuels portfolio, which includes Ecofining™, Ethanol-to-Jet technology, Fischer-Tropsch (FT) Unicracking™, and UOP eFining™—a process that converts green hydrogen and carbon dioxide into e-fuels.
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