Honeywell UOP, Johnson Matthey, GIDARA Energy, and SAMSUNG E&C have announced the formation of an alliance aimed at developing new technology to accelerate sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production and reduce costs.
Fuel is a major contributor to emissions in the aviation sector. SAF, generally derived from sustainable resources like waste oils and agricultural residues, is viewed as a crucial tool to help decarbonise aviation. Producers claim that SAF can reduce lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions by up to 85% compared to conventional fuels.
However, according to a [recent report](https://www.esgtoday.com/global-sustainable-aviation-fuel-production-to-double-in-2025-iata-says/) by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), while SAF production is expected to double by 2025, it will still only make up 0.7% of total airline fuel consumption. Barriers to increasing SAF production meaningfully include high initial costs and challenges with feedstock.
Maurits van Tol, CEO at Catalyst Technologies, Johnson Matthey, commented that the alliance addresses common challenges faced by SAF producers, offering faster delivery and reduced capital expenditure, facilitating greater deployment of SAF globally.
The alliance plans to introduce a joint technology leveraging the Fischer-Tropsch production process, a technique used for nearly a century to convert coal or methane into fuels. This new approach is expected to reduce the time from feasibility study to facility start-up by over 15% and cut capital expenditures by up to 10%, while enabling the use of biomass and municipal solid waste as feedstocks.
Ken West, President and CEO of Honeywell Energy and Sustainability Solutions, highlighted the alliance’s role in collaborating to meet energy demands. As SAF demand rises, diversifying feedstock options has become essential, allowing refiners a strategic pathway to achieve their goals.
The companies emphasised the strengths each partner brings: GIDARA’s expertise in gasification and syngas production, Johnson Matthey’s advanced catalysts and syngas-to-fuels technology, Honeywell’s process technology and digital solutions, and SAMSUNG E&C’s know-how in engineering, procurement, construction, and project execution.
GIDARA CEO Norbert Kamp stated that the alliance exemplifies the potential realised when expertise and ambition converge, unlocking waste’s value to address growing SAF demand, and showcasing waste as a catalyst for a future supported by cleaner energy.
