UOP LLC, a Honeywell company, announced that it signed a memorandum of understanding with Indian Oil Corp. Ltd. (IOCL) under which the two companies would collaborate on research and development for a range of biofuels technologies and projects in India.
The companies would evaluate installation of a demonstration-scale unit to produce green transportation fuels at an existing IOCL site using non-food feedstocks available within India. IOCL and Honeywell’s UOP would also evaluate the viability of pyrolysis oil technology to convert lignocellulosic materials, or plant biomass, into renewable power and heat.
IOCL would also focus on research and development for the production of algal oil for use as a feedstock in the green fuels production.
“This collaboration is focused on the development of viable and sustainable green fuels that will enable reduced greenhouse gas emissions in India,” said Jennifer Holmgren, vice president and general manager of Honeywell UOP’s Renewable Energy and Chemicals business unit. “We are honored to work with IOCL to support this initiative and movement toward a reduced carbon footprint in India.”
“We have to reduce the carbon footprint of our business operations at least by 25 percent from the present level. It is not only our moral responsibility, but also necessary for sustaining the growth of our business. Green operation will allow us to reduce costs by reducing the energy intensity of our operations and thereby becoming cost competitive. It also helps us produce more from the same oreven less inputs. We are looking forward to working with UOP to bring together our respective areas of expertise and achieve these goals,” said Mr. Anand Kumar, director of research and development for IOCL.
The UOP/Eni Ecofining™ process uses catalytic hydroprocessing technology to convert natural oils and animal fats to Honeywell Green Diesel™ fuel. The product, which is chemically indistinguishable from traditional diesel fuel, offers improved performance including a higher cetane value, excellent cold-flow performance and reduced emissions over both biodiesel and petroleumbased diesel. Green Diesel offers value as a blending stock for refiners seeking to enhance existing diesel fuels and expand the diesel pool.
Honeywell’s UOP has also developed process technology to produce Honeywell Green Jet™ fuel under a contract from the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) for both military and commercial aircraft. The process produces a fuel that meets all critical specifications for flight while offering reduced emissions and improved energy density to enable aircraft to fly farther on less fuel.
In 2008, Honeywell’s UOP formed the joint venture Envergent Technologies LLC with Ensyn Corp. to offer RTP® rapid thermal processing technology that converts biomass such as forest waste or agricultural residuals into pyrolysis oil, which can be used to generate heat and power. IOCL, India's flagship national oil company and downstream petroleum major is India's largest commercial enterprise. The IndianOil Research and Development Centre is the region’s foremost commercial center of excellence in the areas of lubricants, oil refining, fuel additives, engine testing, materials sciences, and environmental sciences. This center plays a key role in supporting the IOCL
and its customers and was the first Indian company to demonstrate the feasibility of producing biofuels from non-edible oils.
