‘India has potential to be key SAF producer’

Geneva/New Delhi: India has the potential to be a key producer of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) by utilising its ethanol supplies and availability of lipids feedstocks like non-edible industrial oils, according to a senior official at the global airlines’ grouping IATA.

With decarbonisation in focus, efforts are being made to reduce emissions and over the years, Indian carriers have operated some flights with a blend of SAF and traditional Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF).

Hemant Mistry, Director of Net Zero Transition at the International Air Transport Association (IATA), said the ecosystem for SAF has developed but there is more work to be done.

“There are some very good opportunities for India right now. One is in terms of SAF feedstocks like agricultural waste... there is a growing understanding on what to do for SAF production. We are talking to a number of companies to understand how we can collaborate... oil companies,” Mistry said recently in Geneva.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) represents around 340 airlines, including Indian carriers, that account for more than 80 per cent of the global air traffic.

“India, the third largest ethanol producer and consumer today, has the potential to emerge as a key SAF producer utilising its existing and advanced ethanol supplies.

“At IATA, we see sustainable, low-carbon-intensity ethanol as a promising feedstock to propel India’s aviation sector growth,” Mistry said.

This year, global SAF production is estimated at 1 million tonnes (1.3 billion litres), lower than the earlier projection of 1.5 million tonnes (1.9 billion litres) but higher than the volume of 0.5 million tonnes (600 million litres) recorded in 2023, according to IATA. As the aviation sector pursues ambitious efforts for decarbonisation, IATA has said SAF production growth is disappointingly slow.

While noting that India is poised to emerge as the world’s third largest aviation market, Mistry said there is also the opportunity for the country to emerge as a SAF hub in the region.