Honeywell announced that Verso Energy will use Honeywell UOP’s eFining methanol-to-jet processing technology to produce electro-sustainable aviation fuel (eSAF) at seven planned sites in France, Finland, and the United States. The agreement aims to help Verso Energy reduce capital expenses, speed up market entry, and increase global sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) capacity.
The eFining technology from Honeywell uses carbon dioxide from biological sources, renewable power, and hydrogen to create various electrofuels such as eSAF. When blended with conventional jet fuel, eSAF can be used without modifications to aircraft or fueling infrastructure. According to Honeywell, using eSAF can cut greenhouse gas emissions by 88% compared to traditional jet fuel.
“Efficient and cost-effective eSAF production will be crucial for helping airlines comply with regional adoption requirements,” said Antoine Huard, CEO of Verso Energy. “Honeywell’s proven SAF technology paired with our standardized design approach will enable us to quickly scale production capabilities and bring additional eSAF to the market sooner, helping to meet growing global demand.”
Demand for eSAF is expected to rise as the European Union’s ReFuel EU initiative requires that at least 35% of aviation fuel supply comes from eSAF by 2050. With Honeywell’s technology, Verso Energy plans to produce about 200 million gallons of eSAF annually across its seven facilities.
“Honeywell’s innovative SAF technology portfolio is designed to address two of the biggest challenges in renewable fuel production—cost and feedstock availability,” said Barry Glickman, Vice President of Honeywell Low Carbon Energy. “With our eFining technology, companies like Verso Energy can use abundant carbon dioxide as feedstock, making eSAF production scalable and less carbon intensive. Continued advancements in Honeywell’s process technology are addressing the cost premium associated with renewable fuels by improving plant size and cost, production efficiency, utility consumption and project timelines.”
Verso Energy has received support from the EU Innovation Fund Awards for its first two projects—DEZiR and ReSTart—which are among Europe’s first large-scale facilities dedicated solely to producing eSAF. The DEZiR project also secured funding from the French government and is scheduled to begin operations in 2030.
Honeywell offers a range of renewable fuels technologies including Ecofining, FT Unicracking, Biocrude Upgrading, and Ethanol-to-Jet solutions designed for flexibility in next-generation fuel production.
For more information on Honeywell visit www.honeywell.com/newsroom; details on Verso Energy are available at www.verso.energy.
