Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF)

Indian Economic System(HCS) Infrastructure- Housing, Transport, Energy

Context: Recently, India and Brazil have decided to collaborate on the production and use of Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF).

Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), also referred to as bio-jet fuel, is created using domestically developed methods using cooking oil and oil-rich seeds from plants.
The SAF samples produced by the institutes are undergoing strict testing at the US Federal Aviation Administration Clearinghouse to meet the standards required for the ASTM D4054 certification from ASTM International.

The CSIR-IIP has created fuel using different materials, such as non-edible and edible oils, as well as used cooking oil.
They used various sources, including palm stearin, sapium oil, palm fatty acid distillates, algae oil, karanja, and jatropha.

Its carbon footprint is significantly lower than Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF).
It is ‘sustainable’ because the raw feedstock does not compete with food crops or water supplies, or is responsible for forest degradation.
It remains the major mature and viable pathway to decarbonise the aviation sector. At the same time, SAF only accounts for 0.3% of the current fuel use for aviation.

Scaling up the production and use of SAF in India can bring several benefits, including reducing GHG emissions, improving air quality, enhancing energy security, creating jobs in the renewable energy sector, and promoting sustainable development.
It can also help the aviation industry meet its environmental targets and contribute to global efforts to combat climate change.
Biofuel for aviation can be mixed with regular jet fuel and used together. Compared to traditional fuel, it has lower sulfur content, which can decrease air pollution and support India's goal of achieving Net Zero emissions.

CORSIA Program: The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has established the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) to address aviation emissions.
CORSIA requires airlines to offset any emissions above 2020 levels and encourages the use of SAF to reduce emissions in the first place.
Clean Skies for Tomorrow Initiative: The World Economic Forum has launched the Clean Skies for Tomorrow initiative, which aims to accelerate the production and use of SAF.
This initiative brings together stakeholders from the aviation, fuel, and technology sectors to collaborate on developing and scaling up SAF production.

The European Union (EU) has established blending targets for sustainable aviation fuel to reduce GHG emissions from aviation which aims to increase the use of SAF in aviation fuel over time.
Starting in 2025, the blending of SAF with conventional jet fuel made of gasoline and kerosene will begin at 2%.
The blending targets will increase every five years, with a goal of reaching 63% SAF blending in 2050.