Gurgaon, India, May 24, 2016 – Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Shri Dharmendra Pradhan has unveiled a new refining technology at Honeywell’s India Technology Centre, which is dedicated to helping Indian refiners get more clean transportation fuels from every barrel of oil.

The technology is one of several being developed at the centre by Honeywell UOP, a world leader in developing and licensing process technologies used in oil refining and the production of petrochemicals and renewable fuels in India and globally. The company has invested about US $ 40 million in the facility, which is one of the main technology development hubs for Honeywell UOP outside the US. It also develops technologies for other Honeywell businesses in the region.

“The Indian government is committed to innovation and being an early adopter of technologies to drive growth for the country. I am pleased to launch this new Honeywell technology today, dedicated to making Indian refiners more competitive and efficient,” Shri Pradhan said.

The technology inaugurated at the event is a pilot plant specifically designed to develop advanced hydrocracking catalysts that can more efficiently produce higher yields of clean-burning diesel fuel from crude oil. The technology can allow Indian refiners to get more from each barrel of oil, helping reduce imports of crude oil while producing environmentally preferable diesel fuels.

“The Hon’ble Prime Minister’s visionary call to realize a 10 percent reduction in the country’s crude imports by 2022 has already set a challenge before the Indian hydrocarbon sector, making this advanced hydrocracking technology the solution of choice to help meet this goal and meet the growing demand for energy in India,” said Steven C. Gimre, Managing Director, UOP India Private Limited.

In the past, Honeywell UOP has helped India meet its goal for production of petrol and diesel in the 1980s and to implement Euro III and Euro IV fuel specifications in the 1990s. Today, Honeywell UOP’s technologies are deployed in every refinery in India. More than half the country’s oil and more than 70 percent of the country’s gasoline are made with Honeywell UOP processes, and more than 85 percent of the nation’s biodegradable detergents are produced using Honeywell UOP technologies. More recently, Honeywell UOP entered into a collaboration agreement with Indian Oil Corporations Limited (IOCL) to develop a range of biofuels technologies.

“Honeywell India employs close to 15,000 people to deliver innovative technologies that help customers improve energy efficiency, safety, security, and productivity – all of which are key imperatives for India. Honeywell and its employees are creating solutions and technologies in India, for India, and for the rest of the world,” said Anant Maheshwari, President of Honeywell India.

Honeywell is aligned with and has a significant Make in India footprint with seven manufacturing facilities in Chennai, Dehradun, Gurgaon, Pune and Vadodara, and five technology and engineering centers in Bangalore, Gurgaon, Hyderabad and Madurai.

Honeywell has operated in India since 1931, when Honeywell UOP technologies were used to commission India’s first refinery in Digboi, Assam. Since then, Honeywell has been helping fuel the sector’s growth working with almost every public sector undertakings (PSUs) in the oil and gas sector.