Honeywell and GranBio Technologies join to produce carbon neutral SAF

Honeywell and GranBio Technologies announced that they will combine Honeywell’s ethanol to jet, or ETJ, technology with GranBio’s cellulosic ethanol AVAP technology to produce carbon neutral sustainable aviation fuel, or SAF, from biomass residues at GranBio’s forthcoming U.S. demonstration plant. GranBio’s patented AVAP process converts biomass, including forest and agricultural residues, to pure low-cost, low-carbon-intensity sugars, lignin, and nanocellulose. The cellulosic sugars are converted to both SAF, through Honeywell’s ETJ technology, and biochemicals, through a separate process. Using forest biomass-derived ethanol from the AVAP process, jet fuel produced from Honeywell’s ethanol to jet fuel process can reduce greenhouse gas, or GHG, emissions to net zero on a total lifecycle basis, compared to petroleum-based jet fuel. GranBio’s subsidiary AVAPCO was selected by the U.S. Department of Energy to receive an $80M grant to support the demonstration plant that will produce ~2 million gallons per year of SAF upon start-up in 2026.