AltAir selects UOP’s renewable jet fuel technology at California biorefinery

Honeywell's UOP announced Friday that its process technology is being used to produce commercial-scale amounts of renewable jet and diesel fuels at a biorefinery in California.

AltAir Paramount LLC is using UOP's proprietary renewable jet fuel process technology to convert a variety of sustainable feedstocks into Honeywell Green Jet Fuel at the world's first dedicated commercial-scale renewable jet fuel production facility. 

The plant, located near the Los Angeles International Airport, has also produced Honeywell Green Diesel, a drop-in replacement for diesel made from petroleum, using the same process technology.

"Production by AltAir and Diamond Green Diesel demonstrates that the vision of producing real fuels from sustainable feedstocks has taken the crucial step from technology demonstration to commercial-scale production," said Veronica May, vice president and general manager of Honeywell UOP's renewable energy and chemicals business. 

"Honeywell UOP is committed to continuing to advance its technology to give fuel producers options to use sustainable feedstocks," she added.

Headquartered in Paramount, California, AltAir Paramount has developed and operates several units at a Paramount Petroleum Corp. (a subsidiary of Alon USA Energy) refinery for the production of low carbon fuels and chemicals derived from sustainable feedstocks. 

AltAir revamped portions of the petroleum refinery in Paramount and is now producing renewable transportation fuels for commercial and military use. United Airlines announced in 2013 its intention to buy 15 million gal of renewable jet fuel from AltAir over a three-year period.

Earlier this year, the US Navy's Great Green Fleet, a carrier strike fleet of ships and aircraft, began using renewable fuel on regular deployments as part of the Navy's efforts to demonstrate and deploy alternative sources of fuel, reduce energy consumption, decrease reliance on imported oil and significantly increase use of alternative energy. The ships are being powered by a blend of renewable marine diesel from AltAir -- made from domestic sources of inedible waste, fats, oils and greases -- and petroleum-based marine diesel. For the initial delivery in January 2016, AltAir prepared 1.34 million gal of F-76 type Naval Distillate Fuel.  

The renewable jet fuel process makes Honeywell Green Jet Fuel as well as Honeywell Green Diesel from a range of sustainable feedstocks such as used cooking oil, inedible corn oil, tallow, camelina, jatropha and algae. The process is compatible with existing refinery equipment commonly used in today's refineries, making it easier for refiners to use existing infrastructure to produce renewable fuels, according to UOP officials.

Honeywell's Green Diesel offers up to an 80% reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions versus diesel from petroleum, the company says. Chemically identical to petroleum diesel, Honeywell Green Diesel can be used in any proportion in existing fuel tanks without infrastructure changes. Unlike biodiesel, Honeywell Green Diesel is a drop-in replacement for traditional diesel.

In aircraft, Honeywell Green Jet Fuel can replace as much as 50% of petroleum jet fuel used in flight, without any changes to the aircraft technology, all while meeting the current ASTM jet fuel specifications for flight, the company says. Depending on the feedstock, Honeywell Green Jet Fuel can offer a 65% to 85% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared with petroleum-based jet fuel.