Sustainable Aviation Fuel Latest News
India’s largest refiner and fuel retailer Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) expects to start producing sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) on a commercial scale at its Panipat refinery by December.
About Sustainable Aviation Fuel
- It is a biofuel, also known as bio-jet fuel produced from sustainable feedstocks.
- It has chemistry similar to conventional aviation turbine fuel (ATF) or jet fuel, which is derived from crude oil.
- This means that existing aircraft engines can easily use the SAF-ATF blend.
- It is made from renewable biomass and waste resources have the potential to deliver the performance of petroleum-based jet fuel.Â
- Various Indian airlines have already operated successfully a few test and demonstration flights using jet fuel doped with SAF in various proportions.
- Production: It can be produced from a number of sources (feedstock) including waste oil and fats, green and municipal waste and non-food crops.
- It can also be produced synthetically via a process that captures carbon directly from the air.
Significance of Sustainable Aviation Fuel
- Its carbon footprint is significantly lower than aviation turbine fuel (ATF).
- It is ‘sustainable’ because the raw feedstock does not compete with food crops or water supplies, or is responsible for forest degradation.Â
- It remains the major mature and viable pathway to decarbonise the aviation sector. At the same time, SAF only accounts for 0.3% of the current fuel use for aviation.
Source: IE
Sustainable Aviation Fuel FAQs
Q1: What is sustainable aviation fuel?
Ans: It is an alternative fuel made from non-petroleum feedstocks that reduces emissions from air transportation.
Q2: Why is sustainable aviation fuel so expensive?
Ans: It is due to the limited availability of sustainable feedstocks and the nascent stage of production technologies.
