BPCL to Launch India's First Sustainable Aviation Fuel Facility by 2027

30 Nov 2024 , 11:52 PM

It aims to have the first SAF production facility completed by 2027. This one is another of the significant strides towards the pursuit of environmentally friendly fuel solutions in India.

It comes from non-petroleum sources such as ethanol. Compared to jet fuel, SAF has emitted 80% less greenhouse gas emissions. This falls well within the larger vision of a net-zero carbon world for India, with the target date being 2070.

BPCL is studying the production technologies for SAF. They are looking into oil-to-jet and ethanol-to-jet processes. It is in an exploratory discussion phase with focus given to identifying the most energy-efficient and sustainable way to produce. Location: The location for the SAF plant would probably be one of the refineries owned by BPCL, either Kochi or Mumbai. The capacity and investment cost of the plant are yet to be finalized.

The Indian government is likely to introduce a 1% SAF blending mandate with ATF by 2027. To meet this mandate, around 140 million liters of SAF would be needed every year. This would directly benefit more than 5 lakh farmers, as sugarcane and other byproducts from agricultural crops will likely be utilized as feedstock for producing SAF, which will enhance the rural economy to a considerable extent.

More than 1 lakh of green jobs are likely to be created besides environmental benefits because of this mandate on the SAF production, which is adding further strength to the growing clean energy industry in India.

BPCL has refineries in Mumbai, Kochi, and Bina (Madhya Pradesh) and is continuously building its infrastructure to meet the increasing energy needs of India.

The company would invest ₹1.7 lakh crore in refining, petrochemicals, fuel marketing, and clean energy projects over the next five years. Of this, ₹75,000 crore is dedicated to refineries and petrochemicals, and ₹10,000 crore would be put into green energy. BPCL has vowed to invest in sustainability and growth aligned with its vision of assisting India to transition to clean energy while stimulating economic growth and job creation.