Context: Indian Oil's Panipat refinery has received ICAO ISCC CORSIA certification for producing sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) from used cooking oil. became the first company in India
Relevance of the topic:
Prelims: India’s indicative blending Target for SAF; CORSIA framework.
Mains: Sustainable Aviation Fuel: Advantages & Challenges.
India's first Sustainable Aviation Fuel Plant
- IOC will have the capacity to produce 35,000 tonnes per year of SAF from used cooking oil by the end of 2025.
- Feedstock: The used cooking oil will be sourced by engaging aggregators from large hotel chains, restaurants, and sweets and snacks majors, which is otherwise discarded after use.
- The capacity (35,000 tonnes per year) will be sufficient to meet the country’s 1% SAF blending requirement (for international flights) by 2027.
IOC has become the first company in India to receive the ISCC CORSIA certification for SAF production at its Panipat refinery in Haryana.
ISCC CORSIA Certification System:
- ISCC CORSIA is a certification system for compliance with the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) criteria for SAF. It is a prerequisite for commercial SAF production.
- The certification sets a benchmark for other domestic refiners and industry players to scale up SAF production.
About Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF)
- SAF is a biofuel that is produced from sustainable feedstocks. SAF has chemistry and properties similar to conventional aviation turbine fuel (ATF) or jet fuel (derived from crude oil) but with a smaller carbon footprint.
- It can be blended at different levels with limits between 10% and 50%, depending on the feedstock and how the fuel is produced.
- Sources of SAF:
- Oil seeds, other fats, oils, and greases
- Agricultural residues, Forestry residues, Wood mill waste
- Municipal solid waste streams, Wet wastes (manures, wastewater treatment sludge)
- It can also be produced synthetically via a process that captures carbon directly from the air.
Advantages of SAF:
- Engine compatibility: Existing aircraft engines can easily use the SAF-ATF blend (up to 50% blend) without modification.
- Fewer greenhouse gas emissions: It is estimated that SAF alone is likely to account for over 60% of the global aviation industry’s decarbonisation efforts.
- Sustainable: Raw feedstock does not compete with food crops or water supplies, or is responsible for forest degradation.
- More flexibility: SAF is a replacement for conventional jet fuel, allowing for multiple products from various feedstocks and production technologies.
Challenges Associated with SAF:
- SAF is about three-four times more expensive than the price of regular jet fuel.
- SAF success will require using a greater diversity of feedstock and production methods.
Moreover, collection of SAF would be a challenge. While it is easy to collect from large hotel chains, a solution needs to be found for collection from small users, including households.
Key Facts:
- International Civil Aviation Organisation's (ICAO) is dedicated to reducing carbon emissions from international civil aviation.
- To mitigate the environmental impact of aviation, ICAO has set several aspirational goals:
- Two Percent Annual Fuel Efficiency Improvement: Targeted through 2050.
- Carbon Neutral Growth: Striving for no net increase in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from international aviation.
- Net Zero CO2 Emissions from aviation by 2050.
- These goals are encompassed under two major initiatives: Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) and the Long-Term Aspirational Goals (LTAG).
CORSIA Implementation Phases:
CORSIA will be implemented in three phases:
- Pilot Phase (2021-2023): Voluntary participation by States.
- First Phase (2024-2026): Also voluntary, but with expanded participation.
- Second Phase (2027 onwards): Mandatory for all ICAO member states, including India.
India’s indicative blending Target for SAF:
- In line with the CORSIA framework, India’s National Biofuel Coordination Committee (NBCC) has set the initial indicative targets for blending of SAF with jet fuel 2027 onwards, starting with international flights. The indicative targets are:
- 1% SAF indicative blending target in 2027 (Initially for International flights)
- 2% SAF blending target in 2028 (Initially for International flights)
- 5% by 2030.
The success of SAF will require using a greater diversity of feedstock and production methods. This includes areas such as investing in carbon offset programmes and the diversification of SAF feedstocks.
IOC is also working to set up units based on the alcohol-to-jet pathway, which involves using ethanol as a feedstock to make SAF.