Fly the (environmentally) friendly skies: United to commence wide-scale aviation biofuels flights in 2014

Honeywell’s UOP technology

UOP developed and commercialized the technology under a grant from the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency that converts non-edible, second-generation natural oils and wastes to Honeywell Green Jet Fuel that meets all critical specifications for flight and reduces your greenhouse gas emissions.

Honeywell Green Jet Fuel is drop-in replacement fuel at a 50% blend requires no changes to fleet technology or fuel infrastructure. It is made from non-food, second generation feedstocks that don’t interfere with food, land or water resources, and meets or exceeds all critical jet fuel specifications. In addition to offering a 65 to 80% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions relative to petroleum-based fuels, it has shown higher energy density in flight, which will allows aircraft to fly further on less fuel

Through process technology developed by Honeywell’s UOP, AltAir is retrofitting the existing refinery to produce renewable biofuel. AltAir has worked extensively with Honeywell’s UOP to demonstrate the commercial viability of the Honeywell Green Jet process. Utilizing this technology, licensed from UOP, the AltAir facility will be the first refinery internationally to be capable of in-line production of both renewable jet and diesel fuels. The facility will convert non-edible natural oils and agricultural wastes into approximately 30 million gallons of low-carbon, advanced biofuels and chemicals per year.

These advanced biofuels are drop-in replacements for petroleum-based fuel, requiring no modification to factory-standard engines or aircraft, with which they are fully compatible. This fuel provides the same performance as conventional, petroleum-based jet fuel. AltAir Fuels’ renewable jet fuel is expected to achieve at least a 50 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions on a lifecycle basis.

United will support AltAir Fuels’ efforts to incorporate internationally recognized sustainability standards, such as those being developed by the Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials (RSB). RSB is an international, multi-stakeholder initiative that brings together farmers, companies, non-governmental organizations, experts, governments and inter-governmental agencies concerned with ensuring the sustainability of biomass production and processing.

Read more: United Airlines and Sustainable Aviation Biofuels and background on AltAir — including a complete list of landmark demonstration flights for Honeywell’s UOP Green Jet –  and reaction from United Airlines and AltAir – via the page links below.