US-based Honeywell, which among other areas also operates in aerospace, is open to investing as well as collaborating with oil refiners in India to manufacture sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), country president Ashish Modi told FE.
Sustainable aviation fuel is bio-fuel that is low in sulphur content leading to lesser emissions. Therefore the government is planning to mandate the blending of 1% of SAF with traditional jet fuel by 2025.
This would require around 140 million litre of SAF per year, as per some estimates. For a 5% SAF blend, India would require around 700 million litre of SAF per year.
The need for local production of SAF has gained momentum since International Civil Aviation Oganisation’s (ICAO) Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation would mandate India-based airlines to offset carbon emissions generated from international operations by 2027.
“We strongly believe in sustainable aviation fuel. India has a massive biomass source of feedstock, and ethanol has been hugely successful. Our SAF portfolio includes ethanol to jet (ETJ) processing technology that lets producers convert corn-based, cellulosic, or sugar-based ethanol into SAF,” Modi said.
“There are only a handful of players (in India)… We work with them very closely, and we will continue to work with them. As soon as they put up a plant, we can produce it (SAF),” Modi added.
At present, state-owned Indian Oil Corporation has entered into an agreement with Praj Industries to produce SAF in India.
On its part, Honeywell India believes that more players may start to produce SAF in the country due to the massive demand from the country’s airline sector.
“SAF is absolutely something that Honeywell is uniquely positioned for and has a unique technology to do. We are certainly excited about ‘Make in India’ and not only in aviation, but in all of our portfolio”.
According to Modi, Europe has made a massive move in its blend targets for the airlines to operate, and as India-based airlines operate to Europe, they need to be compliant with their regulations.