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The company has adapted its Ecofining process to produce naphtha from bio-based feedstocks, reducing greenhouse-gas emissions by as much as 80%.

February 11, 2022

2 Min Read
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Honeywell has developed a process for producing high yields of bio-naphtha using sustainable feedstock such as used cooking oil and animal fats. The technique, which reduces carbon dioxide emissions compared with petrochemical-based naphtha production, uses Ecofining technology from Honeywell UOP.

Conventional naphtha — used to produce plastics, including polyester and other packaging materials — is derived from crude oil and natural gas condensates.

In contrast, the feedstock for bio-naphtha produced via Ecofining is sustainable oil. According to Honeywell, the resulting bio-naphtha has a 50% to 80% smaller greenhouse gas footprint compared with naphtha made from petroleum feeds.

“We are actively engaged with customers to drive new technology adoption, as renewable petrochemical feedstocks have grown in interest as consumers prefer more bio-based products," said Ben Owens, Vice President and General Manager, Honeywell Sustainable Technology Solutions, in a prepared statement.

Production of bio-naphtha can incorporate decarbonization technologies that drive down greenhouse-gas emissions. Honeywell calculates that a bio-naphtha-producing Ecofining unit using renewable hydrogen and carbon dioxide capture, processing 10,000 barrels per day of used vegetable oil or other sustainable feedstock, can save more than 1 million tonnes/1.102 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions per year vs. petroleum-based naphtha.

Honeywell UOP jointly developed Ecofining technology with Eni SpA. The technique, in use for more than 20 years, is the key to producing Honeywell Green Diesel, which offers better performance than bio- and petroleum-diesel fuels, and Honeywell Green Jet fuel. Honeywell UOP has licensed 23 Ecofining units, processing 12 different renewable feedstocks, in 11 countries.

In diesel and jet fuel production operations, UOP Ecofining produces small amounts of bio-naphtha as a secondary product. The new iteration of Ecofining represents an adaptation of the technology to produce high yields of bio-naphtha as the main product.

“We see renewable naphtha produced from the UOP Ecofining process as a proven solution, available today to help petrochemical producers reduce the carbon footprint of their products compared to using petroleum-based feeds," Owens said.

Honeywell UOP, based in Des Plaines, IL, is part of Honeywell's Performance Materials and Technologies strategic business group.

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