Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) plans to commence commercial production of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) at its Panipat refinery by December 2025.

• Certification: The IOC recently received ISCC CORSIA certification for manufacturing biofuel from Used Cooking Oil (UCO).
• Production Capacity: The plant is designed to produce about 35,000 tonnes of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) annually, using Used Cooking Oil (UCO) as the primary feedstock.

What is Sustainable Aviation Fuel ?

• Definition: Sustainable Aviation Fuel (aviation biofuel), produced from renewable feedstocks; chemically similar to jet fuel.
• Drop-in Fuel: Can be blended with ATF without modifications to aircraft or infrastructure.
• Feedstock Sources
• • Oils & Fats: Used cooking oil, algae oil, oil seeds, animal fats.
  • Waste: Municipal Solid Waste (MSW), agricultural and forestry residues (bagasse, corn stover, husks, straw).
  • Sugars/Starches: Crop-based inputs like sugarcane, maize.

How IOC Will Produce SAF ? 

• Source: IOC will collect used cooking oil  from hotels, restaurants, and food companies like Haldiram’s.
• Recycling Process: Instead of being discarded after one use, this waste oil will be recycled into sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
• Annual Production: By the end of 2025, IOC aims to produce 35,000 tonnes of SAF annually.
• Meeting Targets: This output will be sufficient to achieve India’s 1% SAF blending goal for international flights by 2027.

Why SAF Matters?

• Aviation Emissions: Aircraft emit water vapour, soot, sulfur aerosols, NOₓ, forming contrails that intensify global warming.
• Decarbonisation Role: SAF expected to account for 60%+ of global aviation’s emission cuts.

Benefits of SAF

• Emission Reduction: Up to 80% lower GHG emissions than conventional jet fuel.
• Compatibility: Works with existing aircraft fleets and infrastructure.
• Sustainability: Produced from feedstocks that do not compete with food crops or contribute to deforestation.
• Energy Security: Reduces oil import dependence and shields aviation from price shocks.
• Economic Impact: Creates opportunities in biofuel and sustainability sectors.

Barriers to Adoption

• High Cost: Production cost 2x higher than conventional fuels.
• Infrastructure Needs: Requires new systems for production, blending, transport.
• Feedstock Issues: Limited supply, competition with food crops may affect sustainability.
• Potential buyers: European airlines, which already face blending mandates.

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