Honeywell has announced that Verso Energy will implement Honeywell UOP’s eFining methanol-to-jet processing technology at seven planned sites in France, Finland, and the United States. This partnership aims to boost the production of electro-sustainable aviation fuel (eSAF), supporting efforts to reduce carbon emissions in the aviation sector.
The eFining technology utilizes carbon dioxide from biological sources, renewable power, and hydrogen to produce various electrofuels, including eSAF. When mixed with conventional jet fuel, eSAF serves as a direct replacement without requiring changes to current aircraft or fueling infrastructure. According to Honeywell, using eSAF can cut greenhouse gas emissions by up to 88% compared to traditional jet fuel.
Antoine Huard, CEO of Verso Energy, said: “Efficient and cost-effective eSAF production will be crucial for helping airlines comply with regional adoption requirements. 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 sustainable aviation fuels is expected to rise as regulations such as the European Union’s ReFuel EU initiative require that at least 35% of aviation fuel supplied in Europe must be eSAF by 2050. The collaboration between Honeywell and Verso Energy is projected to deliver about 200 million gallons of eSAF annually across the seven planned facilities.
Barry Glickman, Vice President of Honeywell Low Carbon Energy, stated: “Honeywell’s innovative SAF technology portfolio is designed to address two of the biggest challenges in renewable fuel production—cost and feedstock availability. 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 secured funding from the EU Innovation Fund for its first two projects—DEZiR and ReSTart—which are among Europe’s initial large-scale facilities dedicated solely to producing eSAF. The DEZiR project also received support from the French government and is scheduled to begin operations in 2030.
Honeywell’s broader renewable fuels portfolio includes Ecofining, FT Unicracking, Biocrude Upgrading, and Ethanol-to-Jet technologies that allow flexibility in feedstock choices for next-generation fuel production.
Verso Energy continues its expansion with eight planned synthetic fuel plants across France, Finland, and the US while advancing other projects such as CarlHYng—Europe’s first green steel initiative—and pursuing over 2 GW of renewable energy developments.
For more information on these companies’ activities visit www.honeywell.com/newsroom or www.verso.energy.
