Cutting-edge innovative technologies enable the refining and chemical industry to achieve new quality productivity

Honeywell has targeted solutions for industries that are responsible for two-thirds of global greenhouse gas emissions, fully supporting the circular economy and advancing energy and environmental transformation. In the refining and chemical industry, Honeywell assists industry customers to identify the main sources of carbon emissions and feasible emission reduction methods and technologies, and proposes targeted technical solutions for industry emission reduction in raw materials, processes, emissions, and operations. With Honeywell UOP’s process technology, equipment and lifecycle solutions, companies can create more value per drop of oil, per cubic meter of natural gas and per ton of coal.

PLX31-EIP-MBTCP For a long time, naphtha cracking process has been the main route for the preparation of olefin. However, naphtha cracking process has low yield, more by-products and high carbon emission. Although ethane cracking can improve the yield and reduce carbon emission, ethane as raw material is in short supply. In the face of growing demand for lightweight olefins, Honeywell UOP has introduced a naphtha to ethane/propane (NEP) process that efficiently converts liquid feedstock to ethane and propane, which will further optimize production, reduce CO2 emissions, improve profitability, flexibility and sustainability, and better respond to new needs and challenges in the olefins industry.

In May 2023, Honeywell and Shenghong Petrochemical signed a strategic cooperation memorandum to provide advanced process technologies such as NEP for the refinery and chemical integration project of its Lianyungang Petrochemical industry base, promote the construction of an intelligent, low-carbon and sustainable integrated production system, and help the comprehensive advancement of petrochemical industry upgrading. Shenghong Refining and Chemical integration project adopts innovative green production technology, and several units have set production scale records in China and the world.

The aviation industry’s energy transition is also dependent on the development of the refining industry, with jet fuel typically accounting for 20 to 30 percent of operating costs. In the trend of improving efficiency and reducing carbon, it is imperative to apply sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). Compared to petroleum-based fuels, sustainable aviation fuels produced using Honeywell UOP’s technology can reduce greenhouse gases by 60 to 88 percent over the entire life cycle, helping airlines achieve low-carbon flight.

Back in 2016, Honeywell’s Ecofining™ process was the first to enable the commercial production of sustainable aviation fuel. To meet the rapidly growing demand for renewable fuels such as sustainable aviation fuel, Honeywell has introduced solutions covering a range of feedstocks. In addition to Unicracking™ and Ecofining™, Honeywell’s renewable fuel portfolio includes ethanol-based Sustainable Aviation Fuel (ETJ) technology and eFining™, which uses green hydrogen and carbon dioxide to produce e-fuels.

More than 50 plants around the world have been licensed for Honeywell’s sustainable jet fuel production process and are expected to have a total capacity of more than 500,000 barrels per day when fully operational. In China, Honeywell has partnered with Zhejiang Jiaao Environmental Technology Co., Ltd. and Sichuan Jinshang Environmental Technology Co., Ltd. to help them build sustainable aviation fuel production bases and promote the application of sustainable aviation fuel in China. Among them, the large-scale sustainable aviation fuel production base project built with Jiaao Environmental Protection in Lianyungang City, Jiangsu Province, uses Honeywell UOP’s EcofiningTM process technology, catalysts and equipment, and is expected to become one of the largest sustainable aviation fuel installations using EcofiningTM process technology in China and the first to be put into production.

PLX31-EIP-MBTCP As an important part of the closed loop of sustainable development, carbon dioxide capture and storage is also an important path to achieve carbon neutrality. Carbon capture, use and storage (CCUS) is projected to contribute about 14% of CO2 reductions by 2050. At present, Honeywell has introduced advanced solvent technology, new thin film carbon capture technology, improved adsorbents and new process design, and through cross-industry and cross-regional cooperation to apply efficient combustion technology and carbon capture technology, to help customers find room for improvement in emissions and recovery, and to “exhaust” the green potential of emissions and recovery, to achieve energy conservation and emission reduction goals.

In the field of resource recycling and reuse, Honeywell successfully commercialized its disruptive UpCycle plastic recycling process in 2021. The technology can significantly reduce the carbon footprint of the recycling manufacturing process and enable hundreds of thousands of recycling cycles, promoting the development of a circular economy of plastics, and has the potential to help increase the global recycling rate of plastic waste to 90%.