Sustainable Aviation Fuel
Why it Matters?
Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) will start commercial production of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) at its Panipat refinery by December 2025 with a 35,000 TPA capacity from used cooking oil. IOC is India’s first to receive ISCC CORSIA certification, aligning with global mandates of 1% SAF blending by 2027.
What You Should Know?
Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) is a biofuel produced from sustainable feedstocks.
SAF has chemical properties similar to Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) / jet fuel, which is derived from crude oil.
Existing aircraft engines can use blends of SAF and conventional jet fuel without modifications.
International Air Transport Association (IATA) emphasized the need for extensive production of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.
India has the potential to produce 40 million tonnes of SAF by 2050.
Estimated cost to set up one SAF plant in India is around 100–150 million USD.
India is the world’s 3rd largest producer of ethanol, supported by proactive biofuel policies.
India holds about 10% of global biomass feedstock suitable for SAF.
ISCC CORSIA
ISCC: International Sustainability & Carbon Certification, a globally recognized certification system for sustainable feedstocks, biofuels, and renewable raw materials.
CORSIA: Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation, adopted by ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) to reduce aviation emissions.
ISCC CORSIA certification ensures that biofuels and Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) used in aviation comply with CORSIA sustainability and greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction criteria.