The Egyptian Sustainable Aviation Fuel Company (ESAF), a subsidiary of the Egyptian Petrochemicals Holding Company (ECHEM), has signed a technology license agreement with US Honeywell to deploy its Ecofining technology in Egypt’s first project to produce sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). This follows a previous agreement signed in December between ESAF and Honeywell for the establishment of the project in Alexandria.

Ecofining is a technology that turns non‑petroleum organic materials into renewable fuels, mainly sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and renewable diesel. The project is expected to reduce carbon emissions from aviation by around 400,000 tons annually (t/y), maximizing the use of locally available waste in a sustainable manner, diversifying fuel sources, and localizing SAF production.

The agreement is part of the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources (MoPMR) strategy to maximize value-added industries and diversify the energy mix to reduce carbon emissions, the petroleum ministry said on May 1.

In the same respect, and as a part of the MoPMR’s five‑year plan to maximize added value and advance Egypt’s national petrochemicals program, the Egyptian Linear Alkyl Benzene Company (ELAB) has begun steps to establish Front End units for producing straight‑chain paraffins.

ELAB signed a Letter of Award with Honeywell UOP to provide licensing, basic design, and supply of key equipment for the project. Front End units for producing straight‑chain paraffins are the initial processing facilities that separate and prepare hydrocarbons into normal paraffins to be used for downstream petrochemical production.

The project aims to deliver added value by producing around 400,000 tons of high-quality aviation fuel and 80,000 tons of straight-chain paraffins, using kerosene as feedstock. This will help reduce Egypt’s import bill and enhance foreign currency inflows, according to a statement by MoPMR.

Honeywell is an American multinational company developing and delivering technology to the petroleum refining, gas processing, petrochemical production, and major manufacturing industries.