US engineering company Honeywell has developed an ethanol-to-jet (ETJ) processing technology to convert corn-based, cellulosic or sugar-based ethanol into sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
The company said depending on the ethanol feedstock used, the ETJ process — also known as alcohol-to-jet (AtJ) — can reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 80pc on a "total lifecycle basis" compared with petroleum-based jet fuel. Honeywell technology uses high-performance catalysts and heat management capabilities to maximise production efficiency.
SAF is more typically produced currently from waste oils, such as used cooking oil (UCO), vegetable oils and animal fats. But demand for SAF continues to grow and ethanol offers producers "a widely available and economically viable feedstock".
The US Biden administration announced an SAF Grand Challenge in 2021 for the US aviation fuel supply sector to produce at least 3bn USG of SAF by 2030 and reduce emissions from aviation by 20pc, with the eventual target of meeting 100pc of US aviation fuel demand with SAF by 2050.
