Amidst rising demand for sustainable energy solutions, recent launches in refining technology are set to cut emissions by up to 88 per cent and boost efficiency across the downstream sector

As the global refining industry grapples with mounting pressures to decarbonise operations while maintaining profitability, 2025 witnessed a surge in technological breakthroughs that prioritise low-carbon fuels, enhanced catalysis, and digital optimisation.

With investments in renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) projected to exceed $50 billion annually by 2030, these innovations address critical challenges such as feedstock flexibility, energy consumption, and greenhouse gas emissions.

Drawing from data across industry reports and announcements, the following 10 launches exemplify how refiners are adapting to produce cleaner products at scale, with capacities ranging from 10,500 to 250,000 barrels per day (bpd), and efficiency gains that could reduce operational costs by 20-30 per cent.

This state-of-the-industry overview highlights hard metrics from licensors like Honeywell, Topsoe, and Axens, underscoring a pivot towards biomass conversion and CO2 utilisation that aligns with net-zero targets.

ADVANCES IN RENEWABLE FUEL TECHNOLOGIES

• Honeywell’s Biocrude Upgrading technology, introduced in October 2025, converts agricultural and forestry waste into high-density renewable fuels, including SAF, marine fuel, and gasoline.

The process yields biocrude with a carbon intensity 80 per cent lower than traditional fossil fuels, enabling integration into existing refineries at a cost reduction of up to 50 per cent compared to conventional biofuel pathways.

Announced with a focus on abundant biomass sources, this innovation processes feedstocks like wood chips and crop residues, producing fuels that meet stringent standards for carbon-intensive sectors, reported by Honeywell.

Commercial deployments are expected to handle 100,000 tonnes of biomass annually, contributing to a 70 per cent drop in lifecycle emissions.

• Topsoe’s HydroFlex technology, selected for expansion at CountryMark’s Indiana refinery in August 2025, facilitates renewable diesel production from diverse bio-feeds such as vegetable oils and animal fats.

The system achieves yields of up to 95 per cent renewable diesel, with a capacity of 250,000 barrels annually starting in late 2025.

Data from Topsoe indicate that HydroFlex reduces hydrogen consumption by 15 per cent versus competing hydroprocessing methods, enabling a payback period of under three years for retrofits.

This launch supports the US renewable fuel standard, where renewable diesel demand reached 3 billion gallons in 2024, projected to double by 2027.

• Axens’ Vegan technology, adopted by Green Carbon Development for a Texas facility in October 2025, produces SAF and renewable diesel at 10,500 barrels per stream day.

Utilising hydrotreated vegetable oil processes, it achieves 99 per cent conversion efficiency from lipid feedstocks, with greenhouse gas reductions of 85 per cent over fossil equivalents.

The project’s capital expenditure is estimated at $200 million, with operations commencing in 2026, aligning with Texas’ bioenergy incentives that subsidise up to 20 per cent of costs.

Axens reports that Vegan’s modular design allows for 30 per cent faster installation than traditional units, enhancing scalability for mid-sized refiners.

• Thyssenkrupp Uhde and Novonesis’ enzymatic esterification technology, launched in February 2025, targets biodiesel and specialty chemicals by slashing energy use by 50 per cent through biocatalytic processes.

The system operates at ambient temperatures, producing esters with 98 per cent purity from fatty acids and alcohols.

Pilot data show a 40 per cent reduction in wastewater compared to chemical methods, with capacities scalable to 50,000 tonnes per year.

This innovation addresses the oleochemical market’s growth, valued at $30 billion in 2024, by enabling sustainable production amid rising feedstock costs.

• Axens, IFPEN, and SMS Group’s Carboverseo technology, unveiled in June 2025, converts CO2 into carbon monoxide via reverse water-gas shift, essential for e-fuels synthesis.

The process captures 90 per cent of industrial CO2 emissions, yielding CO at 95 per cent selectivity with energy inputs of 2.5 MWh per tonne.

Integrated with petrochemical streams, it supports e-fuel production at scales of 100,000 tonnes annually, reducing net emissions by 2 million tonnes per facility. Industry analysis forecast e-fuels to comprise 10 per cent of aviation demand by 2035, driven by such carbon utilisation tech.

ENHANCEMENTS IN CATALYSIS & DIGITAL OPTIMISATION

• Ketjen, spun off from Albemarle in January 2024 with ongoing expansions into 2025, delivers custom catalysts for refining and energy transition, including hydroprocessing solutions that improve yield by 15 per cent in renewable co-processing.

The portfolio handles resid feedstocks with sulphur removal rates exceeding 99 per cent, supporting capacities up to 500,000 barrels daily.

Ketjen’s 2025 pricing adjustments reflect a 10 per cent premium for advanced formulations, yet deliver 20 per cent longer catalyst life, as per Albemarle metrics.

This launch bolsters the $15 billion global catalyst market, where demand for low-carbon variants grew 25 per cent in 2024.

• Honeywell UOP’s eFining technology, recognised in 2025 for methanol-to-SAF conversion, achieves 88 per cent lower GHG emissions than conventional jet fuel, processing e-methanol at 90 per cent efficiency.

Deployments target 1 million tonnes of SAF annually by 2027, with integration costs 30 per cent below Fischer-Tropsch alternatives.

Honeywell data confirm eFining’s compatibility with green hydrogen, supporting aviation’s 2050 net-zero goals amid SAF mandates requiring 5 per cent blends by 2030.

• BASF’s Fourtitude FCC catalyst, optimised for butylenes yields from resid feeds, increases selectivity by 20 per cent, producing 15 per cent more alkylate for high-octane gasoline.

Commercial trials show attrition rates below 0.5 per cent per cycle, extending unit run lengths to 5 years. BASF reports applications in over 50 refineries, enhancing profitability in a market where resid cracking demand hit 20 million tonnes in 2024.

• Barracuda Technologies’ modular bio-refinery, launched in India in mid-2025, fractionates agricultural waste into biofuels and chemicals at 10,000 tonnes per module.

The near-zero liquid discharge system achieves 85 per cent biomass utilisation, with capital costs 40 per cent lower than centralised plants.

Deployed for rice and wheat straw, it supports India’s bioeconomy, projected to reach $300 billion by 2030, with emissions cuts of 1.5 million tonnes annually per installation.

• Hydrocarbon Processing’s AI platform, introduced in July 2025, optimises downstream decisions using machine learning on datasets spanning 90 years.

It reduces troubleshooting time by 80 per cent, analysing operations for margins up to 5 per cent higher in refining units.

Adoption data indicate compatibility with 420 global refineries, aligning with digital transformation trends where AI investments topped $10 billion in 2024.

These launches collectively signal a robust trajectory for the refining sector, with projected emission reductions totalling 10 gigatonnes by 2040 through scaled adoption.

As global refining capacity stabilises at 104.52 million bpd in 2025, up 1.1 per cent from 2024, the emphasis on bio-based and digital innovations ensures resilience against volatility in crude prices and regulatory shifts.

Discussions on stable Russian refining rates at 5.5 million barrels daily underscore the need for such technologies to maintain output amid energy transitions.

Business intelligence from Wood Mackenzie warns of closure risks for 21 per cent of global capacity due to carbon costs, making these low-emission solutions imperative for survival.

Ultimately, these developments not only enhance operational metrics but also position refiners to capture emerging markets in e-fuels and renewables, driving a more sustainable energy paradigm.