This article is based on an official press release from Honeywell.

On April 14, 2026, Honeywell announced that Brazilian state-owned energy corporation Petrobras has selected Honeywell UOP’s Ethanol-to-Jet (ETJ) process technology for a proposed Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) facility. According to the official press release, the planned installation will be located at Petrobras’ REPLAN refinery in São Paulo, Brazil, marking the first large-scale ETJ initiative in Latin America.

Once approved and fully operational, the facility is projected to produce up to 10,000 barrels per day (bpd), equivalent to 420,000 gallons per day, of SAF. The project aims to leverage Brazil’s highly efficient and abundant ethanol industry, which primarily utilizes sugarcane and other agricultural byproducts, to meet the escalating domestic and global demand for low-carbon aviation fuels.

Project Details and Strategic Context

Scaling Up Ethanol-to-Jet Technology

The proposed facility at the REPLAN (Paulínia) refinery remains in the project development phase and is pending a Final Investment Decision (FID) before construction can commence. By utilizing Honeywell UOP’s ETJ process, Petrobras intends to convert low-carbon ethanol into aviation fuel. Brazil is currently the world’s second-largest ethanol producer, accounting for nearly a quarter of global production, and its sugarcane-derived ethanol carries an extremely low carbon intensity (CI) score.

In the company press release, Honeywell leadership emphasized the strategic importance of utilizing regional agricultural strengths to scale renewable fuels.

“Honeywell has a long history of providing innovative process technologies and technical expertise to reduce the cost to produce renewable fuels and help customers leverage new feedstock options. With Honeywell’s ethanol-to-jet process technology, Petrobras is positioned to deliver low-carbon energy solutions leveraging abundant agricultural byproducts to create fuel, helping meet global demand.”

, Ken West, President and CEO of Honeywell Process Technology

Petrobras’ Broader SAF Strategy

This ETJ project represents a core component of Petrobras’ aggressive 2026-2030 Business Plan. According to the provided research data, the state-owned company is committing a $1.5 billion investment in biorefining, targeting 44,000 bpd of dedicated clean fuel capacity by 2030. Petrobras has been rapidly diversifying its SAF production pathways over the past few years.

In 2024, Petrobras licensed Honeywell UOP’s HEFA (Hydroprocessed Esters and Fatty Acids) technology to produce SAF and renewable diesel at the Presidente Bernardes Refinery (RPBC) using soybean oil and beef tallow. Furthermore, in December 2025, the company delivered its first commercial batch of co-processed SAF from its Duque de Caxias Refinery (Reduc), and in February 2026, it selected Topsoe’s HydroFlex technology for a massive waste and vegetable oil feedstock project at the Boaventura Energy Complex.

Industry and Regulatory Drivers

Meeting the 2027 Mandates

The push for scalable SAF production in Brazil is heavily driven by strict regulatory deadlines. Starting in 2027, airlines operating in Brazil must utilize SAF to comply with the United Nations’ ICAO CORSIA (Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation) mandates for international flights, alongside Brazil’s domestic “Future Fuel Law.”

To support this transition, the Brazilian government announced a $1.1 billion (6 billion reais) investment in 2024 through BNDES and Finep to bolster local SAF production. Honeywell executives noted that these factors perfectly position the region for rapid growth.

“Brazil has the scale, feedstock and technology partners needed to become a global powerhouse in sustainable aviation fuel. This project is a major milestone for the region and demonstrates how strategic collaboration can accelerate Brazil’s role in the energy transition.”

, José Fernandes, President of Honeywell Latin America

AirPro News analysis

We observe that Petrobras is employing a highly pragmatic “all-of-the-above” strategy to mitigate supply chain risks. By investing simultaneously in co-processing, HEFA technology, Topsoe’s HydroFlex, and now Honeywell’s ETJ technology, Petrobras is hedging its bets across multiple feedstocks, including soy, tallow, corn oil, and ethanol. This diversification ensures resilience against agricultural yield fluctuations and commodity price spikes.

Furthermore, this ETJ project underscores Brazil’s potential to become the “Saudi Arabia of SAF.” The country already possesses the massive agricultural infrastructure required for ethanol production; by integrating Honeywell’s advanced processing technology, Brazil is effectively moving up the value chain to export high-margin, low-carbon aviation fuels just as the 2027 CORSIA regulatory clock runs out.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Ethanol-to-Jet (ETJ) technology?

ETJ is a chemical process that converts ethanol, often derived from agricultural products like sugarcane or corn, into synthetic paraffinic kerosene, which can be blended with conventional jet fuel to create Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF).

How much SAF will the Petrobras REPLAN facility produce?

Once approved and operational, the facility is designed to produce up to 10,000 barrels per day, which equates to approximately 420,000 gallons per day.

Is the REPLAN ETJ facility currently under construction?

No. According to the project details, the facility is currently in the project development phase and is pending a Final Investment Decision (FID) before construction begins.

Sources: Honeywell Press Release

This article is based on an official press release from Infinium.

In a significant step for the sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) market, Infinium and the Sustainable Aviation Buyers Alliance (SABA) have announced that Infinium’s Project Atlas was selected to supply SAF certificates under SABA’s next-generation procurement initiative. According to the official press release, the proposal was submitted jointly with American Airlines, which will take delivery of the physical fuel and manage logistics.

The agreement aims to accelerate the deployment of high-integrity, next-generation fuel pathways by converting corporate demand into long-term, bankable supply agreements. By securing these offtake contracts, developers like Infinium can better support project financing and scale their operations to meet the aviation industry’s growing decarbonization targets.

Project Atlas and eSAF Production Targets

Project Atlas is an electrofuel (eSAF) development project by Infinium Energy. The company stated in its release that the facility has a planned capacity of approximately 100,000 metric tons per annum (MTPA) and targets a 95 percent reduction in carbon intensity compared to traditional fossil jet fuel. This new facility builds upon the company’s previous commercial deployment efforts, specifically Project Pathfinder in Corpus Christi and Project Roadrunner in Pecos.

In addition to supplying SABA’s corporate buyers, Infinium noted that Project Atlas will produce EU-compliant RFNBO (Renewable Fuels of Non-Biological Origin) eSAF. This positions the project to serve the European market, where the ReFuelEU Aviation regulation mandates a 2 percent SAF blending requirement that began in 2025, scaling up to 20 percent by 2035. A dedicated sub-mandate for synthetic eSAF is also slated to take effect in 2030.

“Being selected for this SABA offtake agreement is pivotal for Project Atlas,” said Robert Schuetzle, CEO of Infinium, in the press release. “The agreement reflects growing commercial demand for next-generation power-to-liquid fuels and supports the continued development of new domestic production capacity.”

The “Book and Claim” Model

SABA’s procurement strategy relies on a “book and claim” model. According to the announcement, corporate customers purchase sustainable aviation fuel certificates (SAFc) to invest in SAF and claim the associated environmental benefits against their Scope 3 emissions. Meanwhile, the physical fuel is delivered to an aircraft operator, in this case, American Airlines.

American Airlines will serve as the physical user of the eSAF, marking its second eSAF agreement with Infinium. The airline’s participation enables the allocation of emissions reductions to SABA’s corporate members without requiring the fuel to be loaded onto the specific flights those corporate employees take.

“We believe voluntary corporate demand can be a catalytic spark to help new SAF production facilities get off the ground,” said Kim Carnahan, CEO of the Center for Green Market Activation and head of the SABA secretariat, in the company statement.

Jill Blickstein, Vice President of Sustainability at American Airlines, added in the release that working with Infinium helps accelerate the development of SAF technologies that have the potential to reach commercial scale at lower prices.

AirPro News analysis

We note that the selection of Project Atlas highlights a critical mechanism in the modern SAF economy: decoupling the environmental attributes of sustainable fuels from their physical delivery. For power-to-liquid eSAF pathways, which are highly scalable but currently capital-intensive, securing long-term, binding offtake agreements is often the final hurdle before reaching a Final Investment Decision (FID).

By aggregating corporate demand through SABA, which launched this specific procurement round in May 2025, buyers provide the financial certainty needed to build new plants. With initial production at Project Atlas expected by 2029, this deal underscores how corporate sustainability budgets are increasingly being leveraged to underwrite the physical infrastructure required for aviation’s energy transition.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is eSAF?

Electro-sustainable aviation fuel (eSAF) is a type of synthetic fuel produced using renewable energy and captured carbon dioxide. Infinium’s process converts waste CO₂ and renewable power into a drop-in aviation fuel that is compatible with existing aircraft engines and fueling infrastructure.

How does the book and claim system work for SAF?

The book and claim system allows companies to purchase the environmental benefits of SAF (the “claim”) via certificates, even if the physical fuel (the “book”) is used by a different operator. This enables corporate buyers to reduce their reported climate emissions while funding the production of sustainable fuels.

Sources

• Infinium

This article is based on an official press release from RECARO Aircraft Seating.

RECARO Aircraft Seating has announced a new operational trial in partnership with Spanish flag carrier Iberia, introducing certified sustainable seating features to commercial service. Starting this spring, passengers flying on a selected Iberia Airbus A320neo will experience economy class seats upgraded with environmentally conscious materials.

According to the company’s press release, the trial involves the installation of 186 RECARO R1 and R2 economy class seats in a hybrid cabin layout. The seats, provided as part of a modification kit, will remain in service for a minimum of six months to evaluate their performance in daily airline operations.

This initiative marks the first time RECARO has collaborated with an airline customer to test these specific sustainable features in a live environment, underscoring a growing industry push to reduce the environmental footprint of aircraft interiors.

Sustainable Materials in the Cabin

Upcycled Fishing Nets and Real Wood

The development of these new seating features required a rigorous step-by-step process, including the creation of mock-ups, qualification testing, and final material certification for commercial cabin use. The resulting R1 and R2 seats incorporate two primary sustainable elements: literature pockets made from upcycled fishing nets and real wood inlays.

The literature pockets are manufactured using discarded fishing nets recovered from marine environments. According to RECARO, outfitting a single-aisle aircraft shipset, such as the A320neo, with these pockets removes approximately 2 kilograms of waste material from the oceans. Additionally, the seats feature a real wood-based element integrated into the bumper, replacing traditional synthetic finishes with a natural alternative while maintaining durability.

“With these seats, we were able to combine innovation with ingenious design and sustainability,” said Dr. Mark Hiller, CEO of RECARO Aircraft Seating and RECARO Holding, in the official release. “We are very proud of this step in bringing a more sustainable seating options to the cabin and partnering with Iberia as our trial customer.”

The R Sphere Concept and Industry Recognition

Crystal Cabin Award Nomination

The materials and design philosophies tested in the Iberia trial originate from RECARO’s R Sphere Sustainable Concept Seat. The R Sphere program focuses on reducing the environmental impact of aircraft seating across its entire lifecycle, utilizing recyclable components, bio-based materials, and modular designs that simplify end-of-life disassembly.

The R Sphere concept has been nominated as a finalist in the Sustainable Cabin category for the 2026 Crystal Cabin Awards. The aviation industry will get a closer look at these innovations during the Aircraft Interiors Expo (AIX) in Hamburg this April, with award winners scheduled to be announced on April 14, 2026.

Industry reports from outlets such as APEX and Aerospace Global News note that the broader R Sphere modular seat design can save approximately 1.5 kilograms per passenger compared to conventional models. On a standard single-aisle aircraft, this weight reduction translates to an estimated lowering of carbon emissions by up to 55 tons of CO2 annually.

AirPro News analysis

We view the partnership between RECARO and Iberia as a highly pragmatic approach to sustainability in the commercial aviation sector. By utilizing a six-month trial on a single A320neo, Iberia can gather real-world data on the durability, maintenance requirements, and passenger reception of upcycled materials without the immediate financial risk of a fleet-wide retrofit. Furthermore, integrating materials like reclaimed ocean plastics into highly visible passenger touchpoints, such as literature pockets, serves a dual purpose: it tangibly reduces marine waste and provides airlines with a visible sustainability narrative that passengers can interact with directly during their flight.

Frequently Asked Questions

What aircraft is being used for the RECARO sustainable seat trial?

The trial is being conducted on a selected Airbus A320neo operated by Iberia.

How long will the trial last?

The seats will be in operational service for a trial period of at least six months.

What sustainable materials are included in the seats?

The RECARO R1 and R2 seats feature literature pockets made from upcycled fishing nets and real wood inlays integrated into the seat bumpers.

Sources

• RECARO Aircraft Seating Press Release