CB BureauAirAsia India flight I5-767 departed from Pune to New Delhi using a blend of indigenous sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) supplied by Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL) in partnership with Praj Industries Ltd (Praj). Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Hardeep Singh Puri, received this special flight at the airport.
The SAF sourced for this initiative by Praj Industries is in partnership with Gevo Inc., which has developed a breakthrough alcohol-to-jet (ATJ) technology using bio-based feedstock. Praj produced SAF samples in its R&D facility, Praj Matrix, which underwent detailed testing at IOCL laboratories before it was blended for the special flight.
Describing the occasion as a significant milestone in the country’s efforts towards net zero emissions by 2070, Mr Puri said, ‘This is the first domestic commercial passenger flight with SAF blending up to 1% as demonstration mode. By 2025, if we target to blend 1% SAF blending in jet fuel, India would require around 14 crore litres of SAF/annum. More ambitiously, if we target for 5% SAF blend, India requires around 70 crore litre of SAF/ annum.’
Global aviation is currently responsible for about 3% of total global GHG emissions. If the emission remains unchecked, it could be responsible for 22% of GHG emissions by 2050. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has released Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) regulations that have defined a target of reducing CO2 emissions from the aviation sector by 50% by 2050. An alternative to the current use of fossil fuels is to use SAF that can result in high greenhouse gas (GHG) savings.