JGC Holdings Corporation and Cosmo Oil Company will use Honeywell Ecofining technology (earlier post) for the first commercial-scale sustainable aviation fuel project in Japan. The project will convert used cooking oil locally collected in Japan into renewable jet fuel meeting ASTM D7566 standards with start-up scheduled in 2025.

Honeywell’s UOP Ecofining process has been used to produce SAF commercially since 2016. The Ecofining process is a capital-efficient solution suited for producing renewable jet fuel from sustainable feedstocks. For example, renewable jet fuel produced from the Ecofining process using used cooking oil as feed can deliver 60%-80% lifecycle reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared with aviation fuel from petroleum.

This project is a new challenge for Cosmo Oil, which produces petroleum products derived from crude oil. We need to work on decarbonization of fuels through a multiple approach to contribute to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 set by Japanese government. Introducing SAF production on a commercial scale is the first step.

—Taisuke Matsuoka, director and executive officer, Cosmo Oil

Honeywell Green Jet Fuel produced by the Ecofining process is blended seamlessly with petroleum-based jet fuel at commercial scale. When used in up to a 50% blend with petroleum-based jet fuel, Honeywell Green Jet Fuel requires no changes to aircraft technology and meets all critical specifications for flight.

The UOP Ecofining process, developed in conjunction with Eni SpA, converts non-edible natural oils, animal fats and other waste feedstocks to Honeywell Green Diesel and Honeywell Green Jet Fuel, which is chemically identical to petroleum-based counterparts. Both products offer improved performance over commercial petroleum-based diesel and jet fuels, and can be used as a drop-in replacement in vehicles and aircraft with no equipment modifications.

UOP currently has licensed 24 Ecofining units in eleven countries around the world, processing 12 different types of renewable feedstocks.