USA BioEnergy selects Johnson Matthey, Honeywell techs for Texas biorefinery

USA BioEnergy has announced it has selected Johnson Matthey (JM) and Honeywell to provide the process technologies to USA BioEnergy to produce synthetic paraffinic kerosene (SPK) at its Bon Wier, Texas biorefinery.

JM/bp’s FT CANS technology and Honeywell UOP’s FT Unicracking process technology, which both use the Fischer Tropsch pathway, will be deployed to produce SPK that complies with aviation industry standards once blended with conventional jet fuel.

Once operational, the Bon Wier plant is expected to convert 1 million tonnes/year of biomass, using responsibly sourced forest thinnings as feedstock, into 65 million gallons of transportation fuels, including SAF.

At the facility, USA BioEnergy will also implement Honeywell’s Experion PKS Distributed Control System (DCS) and safety system to ensure optimal performance, reliability and safety.

The collaboration on the Bon Wier biorefinery builds on several recent advancements in SAF achieved by each of the companies, including:

· USA BioEnergy entered into a 20-year offtake agreement with Southwest Airlines for the purchase of up to 680 million gallons of SPK. If blended with fossil jet fuel to meet international standards, this quantity could yield 2.59 billion gallons of SAF, helping to meet International Air Transport Association (IATA) emission goals to achieve net zero by 2050.

· JM and Honeywell were recently selected by DG Fuels for a new SAF manufacturing plant in Minnesota, US. DG Fuels’ Minnesota project also plans to use JM/bp’s FT CANS technology and Honeywell UOP’s FT Unicracking process technology. In addition, DG Fuels has licenced JM’s HyCOgen reverse water gas shift technology for the Minnesota project.

· For JM, these projects represent the 10th and 11th large-scale wins in its Catalyst Technologies’ portfolio since the start of financial year 24/25.

Honeywell’s recent announcement of its intention to acquire Johnson Matthey’s Catalyst Technologies business segment is wholly distinct from the agreement referenced in the statement issued.

Discussions regarding the agreement were part of ordinary course discussions between Honeywell and Johnson Matthey’s Catalyst Technologies business segment, it adds.