Honeywell Modular Technology to Power and Automate Acelen Renewables Biofuel Production
Modular design and integrated automation controls to help fast-track and optimize new Brazil refinery, expected to be one of the largest in the world.
Acelen will use a sustainable feedstock native to Brazil, macaúba oil, to produce renewable fuels.
CHARLOTTE, N.C., June 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Honeywell (NASDAQ: HON) today announced that its modular Ecofining™ process technology, specialized pumps, compressors, and integrated control and safety systems will help drive sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and renewable diesel production for Acelen Renewables' greenfield site in Bahia, Brazil.
With SAF demand projected to increase to nearly 500,000 barrels per day over the next decade1, refiners are looking for ways to scale production quickly and efficiently. Honeywell's modular delivery model shortens construction time and lowers costs, allowing SAF production faster than traditional methods.
"Brazil is set to produce the fuel of the future through a project that is sustainable—economically, socially, and environmentally," said Marcelo Cordaro, COO of Acelen Renewables. "The Bahia facility project supports biodiversity and fosters an economy based on sustainability. Honeywell's process technology and automation expertise will help maximize the production of lower-emission fuels at our facility, supporting the growing global demand for renewable fuels."
The Honeywell UOP Ecofining process, developed with Eni SpA, efficiently converts waste fats, oils, and greases into renewable diesel and SAF that can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 80% when blended with conventional jet fuel2.
"Honeywell's low-carbon process technologies are enabling companies like Acelen to address the growing demand for renewable fuels by using a variety of feedstocks," said Ken West, president and CEO of Honeywell Process Technology. "Technology and integrated automation play a pivotal role in reducing the cost of renewable fuels, which is essential for broad adoption. Advances in Honeywell's technology have reduced the cost to produce SAF and the use of novel, low-cost feedstocks will help further reduce production costs."
Honeywell has delivered more than 1,500 modular process units, across multiple technologies, worldwide. Honeywell's integrated control and safety system is enriched by Honeywell UOP's vast operational expertise and cutting-edge technologies and is embedded within the Experion® PKS platform. As a result, it can significantly reduce project timelines and risks while helping to optimize biofuel production to achieve operational excellence. The combination of process technology and automation provides a platform for digitization and data driven operating insights.
Honeywell is an integrated operating company serving a broad range of industries and geographies around the world, with a portfolio that is underpinned by our Honeywell Accelerator operating system and Honeywell Forge platform. As a trusted partner, we help organizations solve the world's toughest, most complex challenges, providing actionable solutions and innovations for aerospace, building automation, industrial automation, process automation, and process technology, that help make the world smarter and safer as well as more secure and sustainable. For more news and information on Honeywell, please visit www.honeywell.com/newsroom.
1 BloombergNEF April 2025 research
2 GHG reductions are based on ICAO CORSIA default lifecycle emissions values for CORSIA-eligible fuels, Table 2 - Used Cooking Oil.
