Sustainable Aviation Fuel

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. 
• 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.

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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. 
• 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