Kerry Lynch stepped into the role of editor of the&nbsp;Aviation International News&nbsp;monthly magazine in May 2022 after serving with&nbsp;AIN&nbsp;for eight years. She joined&nbsp;AIN&nbsp;in December 2014 as a senior editor covering Washington and business aviation news. She has also served on Convention News teams, including as editor of&nbsp;HAI Convention News. Lynch previously spent 25 years with Aviation Week. During her time there, she reported for and later steered&nbsp;The Weekly of Business Aviation, oversaw business aviation content on the&nbsp;Aviation Week Intelligence Network, served on the&nbsp;Show News&nbsp;staff, and held roles as the Washington columnist for&nbsp;Business &amp; Commercial Aviation&nbsp;and&nbsp;Overhaul &amp; Maintenance&nbsp;monthly magazines. In 2021 she was honored with the National Business Aviation Association Platinum Wing Award for lifetime achievement in journalism and was the 2004 recipient of the National Air Transportation Association’s Aviation Journalism Excellence Award. She also has been a recipient of an Aerospace Media Award for business aviation (2022) and NBAA Gold Wing Award (2003, 2024). Lynch graduated from The Ohio State University with a bachelor of arts in journalism.

Editor, AIN monthly magazine

Kerry Lynch

Honeywell is continuing to expand its process licensing business and exploring new pathways for sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) as demand increases globally. Recently, the company partnered with St1 Nordic and Power2X as it seeks to boost production availability for SAF.
In Gothenburg, Sweden, the St1 Refinery began using Honeywell’s technology to produce SAF for regional airlines, including Braathens Regional Airlines. This plant can produce up to 200,000 tons of renewable fuels annually using a variety of feedstocks, including used cooking oil, animal fats, and tall oil fatty acids from paper and pulp mills. The biorefinery will also produce biodiesel, bio-naphtha, and bio-liquid petroleum gas.
In Rotterdam, Honeywell formed an e-fuels strategic collaboration with Power2X. Under the tie-up, Power2X will use Honeywell Universal Oil Products’ technology that combines green hydrogen and carbon to create e-methanol that can be converted to sustainable fuels.
These initiatives are among the latest in a range of projects that Honeywell has ongoing throughout its company to help the industry meet its long-term net-zero goals. In all, Honeywell has technologies in use at more than 70 facilities producing renewable fuels.
According to Willie Coetzee, Honeywell’s director of government relations for sustainable technology solutions, the company is one of the longest-standing process licensors in the world for energy technologies. He said this has been a key facilitator in the SAF refinery process.
This is part of a comprehensive suite of efforts Honeywell has explored, working in partnership on everything from electric aircraft and eVTOLs to hydrogen.
On the licensing front, Honeywell has been actively involved in various production modes. “Honeywell was one of the pioneers here,” Coetzee said.
When Honeywell first brought its eco-refining technology to market, no one was interested, he noted. “It was the early 2000s, and we actually had to shelve it for a while because the market was just not ready,” he said. “We ultimately rolled it out and were quite successful, so we commercialized it.”
The aerospace giant has built a base through a traditional hydro-processing technology, converting fat, oils, and greases into renewable fuels, including SAF. “But we've also recognized that it's critical to be able to scale the industry and support the market. It’s critical that we enable other production pathways as well,” Coetzee said.
With that in mind, Honeywell has brought to market technologies to convert alcohols such as ethanol, as well as CO2, into SAF. It licenses those technologies to partners globally that can produce the fuels.
“We have quite a broad range of customer sets,” he said, from large integrated energy companies like Total Energies to smaller, more targeted companies.
Coetzee emphasized the importance of diversifying the fuel base. “Each feedstock has its pros and its cons, and its challenges and its opportunities,” he said, citing, for instance, that there is a finite amount of oils and greases.
Regional policy also factors in, Coetzee added. “Looking at the U.S., grown feedstocks in general is pretty accepted. In Europe, food and feed crop feedstocks are not necessarily accepted. So there, you're much more limited to waste oils, waste fats, those types of things.”
Ethanol-to-jet fuel is another example that may be more acceptable in the U.S. than in Europe, he added. “In the European region, CO2-to-jet is something that they prioritize a lot more greatly, so what we try to make sure as a technology company, we can enable different regions, different customers, different markets to produce the fuels in the most optimum way that suits their circumstances.”
Biomass is another up-and-coming area, according to Coetzee. Agricultural waste and forestry waste will likely become relevant globally, he said.
Despite this growth, SAF supply is still a tiny fraction of what is needed globally. However, Coetzee was encouraged about the capacity coming online. He noted that SAF production reached about 0.3% of total jet fuels consumed in 2024, amounting to about one million tonnes.
“We have facilities that operate at that scale, one single facility, and they have a space,” he said. The Power2X facility can produce 250,000 tonnes per annum alone.
“If I use those numbers of IATA, it's a quarter of the 2024 global production at one facility, and it's not even a big facility,” he said. “We’re getting there. What we are seeing now is a really robust project pipeline. We do believe that at least from a technology perspective and from a project pipeline perspective, we're in quite a good space.”
More than 70 sites have licensed Honeywell technologies for renewable fuels, including SAF.&nbsp;The question is how to enable the market, he added, working with what can and cannot be used regionally. “That sometimes becomes more of a bottleneck than the technology itself.”
He also believes the airline market is ready for SAF. “I think there's a very positive trend in the aviation sector,” he said, noting some airlines have reached out to Honeywell and are in regular discussions to stay abreast of market dynamics and those involved in projects. “It tells you that they are really looking to secure supply pretty actively.”

News about environmental issues relating to aircraft operations, including noise issues, emissisions, and regulations. See Fuel for biofuel.

Honeywell Growing Applications, Licenses to Build Sustainable Aviation Fuel Base

Company recent teamed up with St1 Nordic and Power2X on SAF processes

Honeywell is expanding pathways and licensing projects to help build up a global base of SAF.

Honeywell Growing Applications, Licenses to Build Up SAF Base

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

News and issues relating to business, corporate and private aviation, primarily regarding turbine-engine-powered airplanes and helicopters. Subjects include aircraft, engines, maintenance, operations, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security, and training.

Advocates encouraged by focus on innovation

Washington Brings Mixed Bag on Sustainability

Curt Epstein

News and developments about aviation fuel, including jet fuel, aviation gasoline, and biofuel.

News and issues relating to the aerospace industry that are related to the science, engineering and business of flight in space involving civil, industrial and military applications, and similar topics related to flight in the atmosphere of the Earth that are not covered more directly by other AINonline subject channels. In other words, both astronautical and aeronautical subjects, except for those aeronautical topics that are specifically covered elsewhere on this website.

Production of SAF is growing, but still has a long journey ahead

SAF: Fourth Leg of the Stool Slowly Progressing

Charlotte Bailey

News and issues relating to international air transport and cargo carriers, national airlines and regional airlines, including aircraft, engines, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security and training.

Aircraft departing from EU airports must use a minimum 2% blended SAF 

Europe Forging ahead on Sustainability through Mandates

Company has added onsite blending capabilty at its Great Falls refinery

Montana Renewables Introduces 50% SAF Blend to Market

The sustainability solutions provider has helped customers fly greener

Half a Decade On, 4Air Notes Sustainability Milestones

New developments at airports including regulations and noise issues; legal disputes; openings, acquisitions and mergers.

Airport believes positive reinforceement will make a quieter airport

Aspen/Pitkin Airport Doubles Down on Noise Reduction

Clay Lacy Aviation is the launch customer

SkyMark Unveils 7,000-gallon All-electric Refueler

Charles Alcock

Issues regarding financing of aircraft; aviation insurance; tax issues for aircraft operators; new companies and people in the aviation financing and insurance industries.

Paris Air Show 2025

In this article

Honeywell

More In Environment