26-02-2025

Taiyo Oil selects Ethanol To Jet Technology from Honeywell UOP for the production of SAF

Honeywell today announced that Taiyo Oil Co., Ltd. has chosen the Honeywell UOP Ethanol to Jet technology to produce Sustainable Aviation Fuel at its Okinawa Operations in Japan. This facility will be based on Honeywell UOP’s first ETJ license and basic engineering design in the Asia Pacific region with a production target of 200 million litres per year.

Expected to begin operation in 2029, the facility becomes the fifth of its kind in the world and will provide a vital supply of SAF to both domestic and international markets, contributing significantly to the growing demand for SAF driven by the aviation industry’s efforts to reduce carbon emissions.

“For more than 40 years, Honeywell has provided Taiyo Oil with key major refining process units for its Shikoku operations, and we are honoured to continue this trusted relationship to help the company advance its decarbonisation initiatives,” said Barry Glickman, vice president and general manager of Honeywell Sustainable Technology Solutions. “As demand for SAF continues to increase, the aviation industry faces challenges posed by the limited availability of conventional SAF feedstocks like vegetable oils, animal fats, and waste oils. Honeywell’s ETJ SAF technology broadens the available feedstock options to help overcome these challenges.”

Honeywell’s innovative ETJ technology helps enable the conversion of ethanol derived from diverse feedstocks―including corn, sugar, and cellulosic materials―into SAF. This fuel meets the rigorous standards of the aviation sector while demonstrating a significantly lower impact to the environment. Depending on the type of ethanol feedstock used, Honeywell’s ETJ process provides a cost-effective path for producing lower greenhouse gas emission jet fuel on a total lifecycle basis, compared to petroleum-based jet fuel. This technology demonstrates Honeywell’s alignment to the global megatrends, including the energy transition.

“Taiyo Oil’s initiative represents an important leap forward in increasing the production of sustainable aviation fuel,” said Mr. Teruaki Sasaki, senior vice president, SAF Business Project, Taiyo Oil Co., Ltd. “By leveraging Honeywell’s ETJ SAF technology, we will be in a better position to help fulfill the global aviation sector’s demand and contribute toward the overall decarbonisation goals.”

The rising demand in SAF aligns with Taiyo Oil’s initiatives to produce ETJ SAF in support of global decarbonisation goals. SAF produced from Honeywell’s ETJ process can be used as a drop-in replacement that requires no modifications to aircraft technology or existing fuelling infrastructure.