In New Jersey, UOP Honeywell and Ensyn announced a joint venture to commercialize Ensyn’s fast pyrolysis process for converting crop and forest residues to energy.

Ensyn’s “rapid thermal-processing” technology, which heats biomass to more than 900ºF and converts it to bio-oil, a tar-like substance that can be used for home heating oil. Through development, the companies aim to refine the resulting oils to biomass-based gasoline, diesel and jet fuels.  The Ensyn process, according to the company, takes less than two seconds to convert biomass to liquid in what they refer to as a “tornado of hot sand”.

UOP, which is developing biomass-based jet fuel under a contract with DARPA, said that it would contribute technology and equipment to the JV.