Ken West, President and CEO, Honeywell Process Technology, Charlotte, North Carolina (U.S.)
Hydrocarbon Processing (HP) sat down with Ken West (KW), President and CEO, Honeywell Process Technology to discuss the changing global energy landscape, including demand, knowledge transfer, the adoption of renewable/alternative fuels, advancing technologies and how energy leaders can navigate this complex energy landscape.
HP: What do you see are the biggest forces shaping the energy sector in 2026?
KW: Rising global demand for energy will continue to shape the sector in 2026. Many forecasts estimate that energy demand will increase by 20%–40% by 2050, driven by population growth, industrial expansion, greater electricity use and the rapid proliferation of data centers. This is putting added pressure on an already aging global energy infrastructure. While modernization efforts are ongoing, the fastest and easiest way to drive responsible energy expansion is through increased efficiency and performance of existing assets using digital tools and connected solutions.
Even modest efficiency gains can unlock meaningful increased capacity, strengthen margins and reduce risk. For example, if a single industrial facility improves its efficiency and throughput by 5% and that improvement is replicated across 20 facilities, that is the equivalent of building an entire new facility without the time, cost or emissions associated with new construction.
Connected solutions and autonomous systems will play an increasing role in unlocking new levels of performance and value for customers in the industrial sector. In addition to enhanced efficiency, they can also help companies improve reliability and enhance workforce capabilities.
HP: How will digital solutions and artificial intelligence (AI) change the way energy companies operate?
KW: Energy companies across the globe are experiencing the impact of retiring skilled workers, causing an industry-wide workforce shortage. AI-enabled tools will play an essential role in addressing this shortage by augmenting the workforce. By embedding decades of operational know-how into AI-powered tools, even junior operators can navigate complex scenarios with greater accuracy and confidence. This can improve safety, accelerate onboarding and help companies maintain productivity.
In addition, connected and AI-powered solutions are also reshaping how energy companies operate by unlocking new levels of performance and value. Most people experience AI through consumer applications designed to make everyday life more convenient, like assisted driving applications that are built off publicly available data. However, AI-powered applications for industrial companies require precise outcomes to ensure safety, reliability and uptime. Probability-based AI isn’t enough. AI in the industrial sector must be trained on deep domain knowledge, such as how specific molecules behave under certain conditions or how processes respond to changing environmental factors—and much of this data is traditionally locked in organizational silos.
At Honeywell, we analyze billions of data points each day from more than 1,000 units around the world that are critical in the production of fuel and household products. These insights inform predictive analytics that can help customers improve reliability, reduce unplanned downtime and extend asset life. Take catalysts, for example. Refineries and petrochemical plants rely on them to create critical chemical reactions that produce their end-products. Through our connected solutions, we use imaging technology to assess where a catalyst is in its lifecycle and determine the optimal time to reload or replace based on output and performance. Previously, operators had to send samples offsite for analysis—a process that could take weeks or even months. Now, digital tools can analyze these images in near real time.
HP: There has been significant investment made in liquified natural gas (LNG). What role will LNG play in 2026?
KW: LNG will continue to play a critical role in supporting global energy security because it is a reliable fuel source that can be transported across continents, which is important for regions without access to domestic supply. We expect LNG expansion to remain strong in the U.S. and in regions seeking to secure energy capacity, but it may be constrained by traditional feedstock options in regions that include the Middle East, sub-Saharan Africa and parts of Asia.
Investment is also shifting as LNG developers prioritize projects that are efficient, scalable and bankable. This is driving a stronger focus on proven technologies and execution models that minimize complexity and provide greater certainty around cost, schedule and performance. This is one reason why modular solutions and integrated systems driven by digital tools will become even more attractive to operators in the year ahead.
As regions around the world work to strengthen energy security, there is no question that LNG will remain an important component of a diversified energy mix. Honeywell has made significant investments to advance the sector, including the acquisition of Air Products’ liquefaction process business and Sundyne’s specialty pumps and compressors. With these additions, we are now the only company offering differentiated LNG end-to-end process technologies combined with advanced automation and software capabilities—positioning us to help drive LNG expansion globally.
HP: What will it take to scale the production and adoption of renewables and alternative fuels?
KW: Meeting rising energy demand will require adding new energy sources to the grid at a faster rate. Responsible energy expansion will require those new sources to be lower in emissions, which is where renewable and alternative fuels come in.
Regulatory frameworks that create long-term certainty for investors, along with stable policy, can help accelerate broader adoption of these fuels, but incentives alone are not enough to drive sustained growth. Innovative technology solutions that can convert a broader range of low-cost feedstocks into viable fuels will help address two of the major challenges in scaling the production and adoption of renewable and alternative fuels, cost and feedstock availability.
Honeywell’s new Biocrude Upgrading technology is an example of innovation aimed at tackling these challenges. As a drop-in solution that maintains the same density as traditional fuels, it supports the production of lower-carbon renewable fuels using abundant, inexpensive biomass sources such as forest thinnings and agricultural waste. The process reduces production costs compared to other alternative fuels and can be used with existing infrastructure. Advancements designed to lower both the cost-to-produce and cost-to-adopt will be essential to scaling lower carbon fuels.
HP: What advice would you give energy leaders as they navigate the complex energy landscape?
KW: As we navigate an increasingly dynamic and complex energy landscape, success in 2026 will come down to driving efficiency, creating flexibility in existing infrastructure assets and ensuring workforce stability. Technology, and specifically AI-enabled solutions, will play a key role in addressing all three areas.
First, identifying opportunities to improve the performance of existing infrastructure and assets is the quickest way to achieve responsible energy expansion and optimize output. With demand accelerating faster than traditional capacity can be added, incremental efficiency gains across multiple sites can deliver the equivalent of new capacity at a fraction of the cost, time and emissions. Digital tools, connected controls and autonomous systems are increasingly essential to unlock these gains safely and predictably.
Second, flexibility will be critical. Energy markets, regulatory requirements and customer needs are shifting rapidly. Identifying solutions that integrate easily with existing systems, support modular deployment and provide visibility across the value chain will give companies the agility to adapt without the need for major capital spending.
Finally, workforce stability must remain a top priority. As experienced workers retire, companies mudt ensure that critical operational knowledge remains within the organization. This knowledge can be captured and retained by embedding it into digital tools that assist workers in their daily activities. AI-powered systems can guide operators through complex scenarios and help newer employees reach technical proficiency faster, improving safety, uptime and consistency across operations.
And as the industry evolves, Honeywell is helping customers accelerate that progress by combining more than 100 yrs of domain expertise with advanced control technologies and AI-driven solutions. HP
Ken West is President and CEO of Honeywell Process Technology, a leading global technology company that leverages a century of expertise to help customers solve the world’s toughest energy challenges. West joined Honeywell in 2018 and has served in various leadership roles, including President of Honeywell Energy and Sustainability Solutions, Honeywell UOP, and President of Honeywell Advanced Materials. Prior to joining Honeywell, he held leadership positions at PPG Industries for 13 yrs. West earned a BS degree in mechanical engineering from Purdue University, and an MBA from the Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon University.