Matt Spalding

Matt Spalding is the Vice President for Honeywell Energy and Sustainability Solutions (ESS) for Asia Pacific, Middle East, North Africa and India. ESS leverages a century of expertise to help meet the global energy security demands by providing industrial process, sustainability and carbon management technologies, and connected solutions. In this role Matt leads Honeywell UOP, and the newly acquired Honeywell LNG and Sundyne businesses across all aspects of operations, acting as a trusted advisor to customers and key industry players to address the challenges of the evolving energy landscape. Prior to his current role, Matt served as Vice President and General Manager for Honeywell ESS for Middle East and North Africa, and Regional General Manager for Honeywell UOP Asia Pacific. Matt has almost 25 years of experience in the global energy sector and is often engaged as a speaker and thought leader at prominent regional and international business platforms. Prior to joining Honeywell, he held leadership roles at McDermott International, Petrofac, and Worley. Matt holds a degree in Chemical Engin

Session Overview

Wednesday, 5 November

14:25

Downstream & Chemical Conference Room A 14:25 - 15:05

Redefining downstream: turning legacy assets into green hubs

A growing number of refineries and petrochemical producers are exploring ways to transform their operations to remain profitable, meet emerging policy demands and enable low-carbon production. This shift presents an opportunity to repurpose existing assets and align with long-term market expectations, but it also comes with significant financial, technological and logistical challenges. Retrofitting ageing refineries to produce biofuels, sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and e-fuels – alongside the deployment of carbon capture and utilisation (CCU) – is emerging as a key pathway to long-term competitiveness. Meanwhile, petrochemical facilities are advancing chemical recycling, bio-based chemicals and CO₂-derived feedstocks as part of broader decarbonisation strategies. Early adopters have shown that industrial collaboration, advanced processing technologies and scalable infrastructure are key to making this realignment viable. However, success will depend on regional policy support, investment certainty and long-term demand for low-carbon fuels and sustainable chemicals. Whether on a large scale or for only a select few facilities, the global energy industry must adopt a forward-thinking, solutions-driven approach to unlock change.

Attendee insights:

Explore the realities of turning traditional refining and petrochemical assets into low-carbon operations, and assess what makes these transitions successful