UOP, USC to develop fuel from carbon dioxide

UOP, a Des Plaines, Ill.-based unit of Honeywell International (NYSE: HON), announced an agreement today to partner with the University of Southern California to develop and commercialize new technology to transform carbon dioxide into clean-burning alternative fuels.

The company said USC's Loker Hydrocarbon Research Institute developed fundamental chemistry to transform carbon dioxide to methanol or dimethyl ether, two potentially cleaner-burning alternatives to traditional transportation fuels.

"The development of this technology could have significant impact on global energy security, and global warming by converting carbon dioxide into useful products and making new clean fuel technologies available to UOP customers worldwide," said George Olah, director of USC's Loker Hydrocarbon Research Institute.

The agreement grants UOP exclusive access rights for commercialization of technology and intellectual property developed by USC researchers.

"UOP already has commercial technology that uses methanol as a key intermediate in petrochemicals production," said UOP president and CEO Carlos Cabrera.

"We believe methanol can also be a viable option for transportation fuels in the future. The partnership between UOP and USC is aimed at achieving the breakthroughs needed to make this happen."

UOP said methanol is liquid at normal temperatures, allowing it to be stored easily, and is easy to reform into hydrogen or dimethyl ether, the latter of which is a diesel fuel, making it a viable alternative fuel source.

The Loker institute researches environmentally sustainable development of alternative fuels based on renewable feedstocks.

UOP supplies and licenses process technology, catalysts, adsorbents, process plants, and consulting services to the petroleum refining, petrochemical, and gas processing industries.