• Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) has signed an agreement to supply sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) to Air India, representing a significant step towards a greener and cleaner aviation in India.

• SAF is an alternative fuel made from non-petroleum feedstocks that reduces emissions from air transportation. 

• It can be blended up to 50 per cent in conventional aviation turbine fuel (ATF or jet fuel), depending on availability. 

• India has mandated 1 per cent SAF blending in jet fuel sold to international airlines from 2027.

• IOC plans to begin production of SAF from used cooking oil starting December this year at its Panipat refinery. 

• The facility is expected to produce 35,000 tonnes of green fuel annually, using waste cooking oil sourced from hotel and restaurant chains.

• IOC has become the first Indian company to receive ISCC CORSIA certification for SAF production at its Panipat refinery.

• The certification is granted under ICAO’s Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA), which establishes IOC’s capability to produce SAF that meets the most stringent international sustainability and lifecycle carbon emission standards.

• With this MoU, Air India is committed to supporting the government of India’s initiatives to promote sustainable development in the aviation sector and to further its own sustainability goals to achieve the IATA net zero by 2050 target.

• By integrating certified green fuels into commercial operations, IOC and Air India are together reinforcing India’s position as a front-runner in sustainable aviation and energy transition.

How SAF will help reduce emissions?

• The international aviation industry has set an aspirational goal to reach net zero carbon by 2050. SAF presents the best near-term opportunity to meet these goals. 

• Global climate change issues and decarbonisation of the energy and transport markets are driving the transition to sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). 

• SAF developed from a wide dispersion and variety of biomass resources will ensure that the benefits of expanded biomass production extend to both rural and urban areas. 

• It can be used in existing aircraft, and it emits on average 70 per cent fewer greenhouse gas emissions than using fossil jet fuel on a life cycle basis.

• Globally, many airlines are committing to achieving net zero by 2050. This can only be achieved using SAF. 

• According to the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), over 360,000 commercial flights have used SAF at 46 different airports largely concentrated in the United States and Europe.