Honeywell's new tech turns plant waste into clean fuel
Honeywell just dropped a new technology called Biocrude Upgrading that transforms things like wood chips and crop leftovers into biocrude.
This biocrude can then be made into renewable fuels for ships, planes, or as renewable gasoline—no need to change existing engines, and refineries may be able to process the biocrude with minimal adaptation.
The goal? Help the shipping industry cut down on carbon emissions.
How does it actually work?
It's a two-step process: first, the plant waste is turned into biocrude using heat (and sometimes pressure, depending on the process).
Then, a special reactor removes oxygen from the mix, making stable fuel that can be refined just like regular oil.
The whole setup uses modular plants, so it's quicker and less risky to build.
Why should you care?
This tech isn't just greener—it's also cheaper than other sustainable aviation fuels and squeezes more energy out of each batch of biomass.
Since shipping makes up about 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions, cleaner fuel could make a real dent in climate impact while keeping travel and trade moving.