Honeywell fuel technology subsidiary UOP has reached a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Indian national oil company Indian Oil Corporation to collaborate on research and development of biofuels technologies and projects in India.
The companies would work to evaluate the installation of a demonstration-scale unit to produce alternative transportation fuels at an existing Indian Oil site. Non-food feedstocks available within India would be sourced for the fuel.
UOP and Indian Oil would also evaluate the viability of a technology to convert plant biomass into renewable power and heat, and Indian Oil would focus on research and development for the production of algae as a feedstock for alternative fuel.
The Indian Oil MOU could mark the latest alternative fuel venture for UOP, which has partnered with both JetBlue Airways and Mexican operator Interjet for two separate alternative fuel demonstrations. Both trials were to have been held in 2010, but have been postponed due to feedstock supply issues.
UOP also refined the biofuel used by Air New Zealand, Continental Airlines and Japan Airlines for their alternative fuel demonstration flights in 2008 and 2009.
Source: Air Transport Intelligence news
