KUALA LUMPUR: Sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) continue to be clouded with feedstock shortage and the inability to keep up with the supply and demand, and Honeywell International Inc is addressing the challenge through alternate feedstock supply solutions.

Vice president of global high growth regions and Asean president Norm Gilsdorf said the Honeywell Universal Oil Products (Honeywell UOP) Ecofining process had converted many inedible feedstocks and many others to produce on-spec, renewable jet fuel.

"This flexibility gives fuel producers the option to choose the bio feedstock that best suits their location and operating goals.

"Malaysia has an abundance of biomass options that could be considered," he told the New Straits Times in an interview recently.

Gilsdorf said Honeywell UOP was the first to commercialise the production of SAF with the start-up of the Alt-Air (now World Energy) facility in Los Angeles, California in 2016.

This project was a complete refinery revamp to the processing of 100 per cent biofeed into renewable jet fuel.

Today, it remains the only commercial 100 per cent SAF production facility delivered by a technology licensor.

"We have developed technology to support every major change in the refining industry since 1914. In renewable fuels, our technology is used in the most operating facilities producing renewable diesel and jet fuel from 100 per cent renewable source.

"Honeywell UOP led the ASTM certification process for green jet fuel back in 2011 and has produced more than one million gallons of Honeywell green jet fuel to support military and commercial application testing.

"UOP can bring this experience in SAF for alternatives to traditional petroleum refining technology to help address the world's energy challenges," he explained.

The UOP Ecofining process, he added, produced high-quality, renewable jet fuel that performed similar to petroleum-based fuels.

"Made from vegetable oils, animal fats and non-food-based, second-generation feedstocks such as camelina, jatropha and algae, Honeywell green jet fuel is not only safe, but also a cleaner more efficient options in the long run."

Gilsdorf said so far, only the European Union had a SAF requirement. But he said the company expected the trend to spread more globally.

"There is a demand of SAF in the market based on the number of licenced projects that we are involved in regionally and also from the encouraging market interest. We continue to uphold our commitment to providing cost-effective, high performing, flexible and sustainable solutions to customers.

"Through market study, the perception and market readiness to embrace SAF and the technology surrounding it is positive. However, it will still take time and investment; and sources of feedstock for SAF to become more prevalent," he said.

Honeywell has been awarded seven SAF projects in Asia Pacific over the last 18 months to provide licence and basic engineering to customers on both new facilities and revamps of existing assets to process renewable feedstocks.

These include the announced projects Pertamina in Indonesia as well as BP in Australia.