Honeywell and USA Bioenergy partner on automating sustainable aviation fuel refinery

Honeywell agreed Sept. 23 to implement its Experion Process Knowledge System (PKS) distributed control and safety system at USA BioEnergy’s (USABE) Texas Renewable Fuels Bon Wier advanced biorefinery that’s designed to convert wood waste into sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). Experion PKS will support the plant’s central control and safety operations, ensuring optimal performance, reliability and safety.

This system's real-time data acquisition, monitoring, and control capabilities will simplify the complex processes involved in converting wood waste into SAF. By integrating these functions, Honeywell expects to enhance operational efficiency and help USA BioEnergy achieve its production targets with minimal downtime, while also contributing to reduced airline emissions and more sustainable commercial flights. The project is presently in the detailed design and engineering stage.

“Our selection of Honeywell’s Experion DCS and safety systems for our planned Bon Wier facility was a strategic decision to ensure we operate with the highest efficiency and safety standards,” says Nick Andrews, CEO of USA BioEnergy. “Honeywell’s proven expertise and innovative solutions will be instrumental in helping us achieve our mission of producing sustainable aviation fuel with the lowest carbon intensity score in the industry.”

Located in Bon Wier, Texas, the planned $2.8 billion greenfield facility aims to address airlines’ growing demand for SAF by converting sustainably sourced forest thinnings into SAF. In advance of the facility’s opening, USA BioEnergy recently signed a 20-year offtake agreement with Southwest Airlines. It allows Southwest to buy up to 680 million gallons of neat, or unblended, SAF. Once blended with conventional jet fuel, the SAF could produce the equivalent of 2.59 billion gallons of net-zero] fuel and avoid 30 million metric tons of CO2 over the offtake agreement term.

“Honeywell’s automation and safety solutions will be at the forefront of USA BioEnergy’s SAF facility, and will play a meaningful role in advancing the future of aviation,” said Pramesh Maheshwari, president of Honeywell Process Solutions. “Our partnership not only reflects our vision of a sustainable future, but it also demonstrates our commitment to delivering cutting-edge solutions that drive efficiency through intelligent operations.”

In addition to providing DCS and safety systems, Honeywell will also implement its Experion Industrial Security system to bolster the facility’s telecommunications. This security solution will help to safeguard the plant’s critical assets, and provide secure and reliable communications across the entire facility, mitigating potential cyber-threats and enhancing operational resilience.

Honeywell adds that it helped pioneer SAF production with its Ecofining process, which has been used to produce the fuel commercially since 2016. The company now offers solutions across various feedstocks to meet the rapidly growing demand for renewable fuels, including SAF. In addition to its Unicracking and Ecofining processes, Honeywell's renewable fuels portfolio includes ethanol-to-jet technology and eFining, which converts green hydrogen and carbon.