Overview
- University of Illinois researchers reported a Nature Communications study showing food waste can be converted to sustainable aviation fuel that met ASTM and FAA Tier Alpha and Beta prescreening without additives or fossil blending.
- The lab process uses hydrothermal liquefaction to make biocrude from food waste followed by catalytic hydrotreating, identifying cobalt molybdenum as the most effective commercially available catalyst.
- Earlier this week Honeywell announced its UOP Biocrude Upgrading technology to convert agricultural and forestry residues into a transportable biocrude for finishing into SAF, renewable gasoline and lower‑carbon marine fuel at existing refineries.
- Honeywell says the system can be deployed as prefabricated modular plants and can densify biomass at or near collection sites to cut transport costs, positioning the approach for incremental, refinery‑integrated capacity additions.
- Analysts note Honeywell has not disclosed specific yields or lifecycle emissions, and both efforts still face commercialization and scaling hurdles in a market where SAF supplies remain a small fraction of aviation fuel demand.