Govt allows Ethanol Blending in Aviation Turbine Fuel

Why in News?

India’s Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has officially permitted ethanol blending in Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF). The step aims to promote Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) and reduce India’s dependence on imported oil.

Key aspects of the Regulatory Change:

• Definition shift: It expanded the definition of ATF to allow blending with synthetic or man-made hydrocarbons, thereby opening the door to ethanol-based fuels such as Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF).
  • The notification states that ATF is no longer restricted to conventional hydrocarbon fuels under the IS 1571 (Indian Standard for ATF) standards but now also includes blends incorporating synthetic hydrocarbons. This means that aviation fuel in India is no longer purely fossil-based.
• Rationale: 
  • To reduce dependence on imported crude oil. India currently imports around 87% of its oil needs. 
  • To cut carbon emissions. The policy supports India’s plan to start mandatory SAF blending for international flights by 2027.

This shift aligns India with global standards, aiming to reach 5% SAF blending by 2030.

What is Sustainable Aviation Fuel?

• SAF is a biofuel produced from sustainable, non-petroleum feedstocks. It shares similar chemical properties and energy density with conventional ATF, but has a significantly lower carbon footprint. 
• Feedstocks:
  • Used Cooking Oil (UCO)
  • Agricultural residues, Stubble waste & Forestry residues.
  • Non-edible oils: Jatropha, Karanja, and Algae oil 
  • Industrial/Municipal Solid Waste 
  • Power-to-Liquid (PtL): Combines green hydrogen (from water electrolysis) with captured CO2 to form syngas, which is then converted into synthetic kerosene (SAF).
  • Alcohol-to-Jet (AtJ): Converts sugarcane-derived ethanol (produced from molasses and syrup) into SAF.

Key Criteria: To qualify as sustainable, SAF must demonstrate- reduced lifecycle carbon emissions, limited freshwater usage, no competition with food crops, and no contribution to deforestation.

Advantages of Sustainable Aviation Fuel: 

• Engine compatibility: SAF is a “drop-in fuel”, i.e., it can be used in existing aircraft engines. No engine modification needed for up to 50% blend with conventional ATF. 
• Lower carbon emissions: SAF can reduce lifecycle GHG emissions by up to ~80% compared to conventional ATF. Actual reduction varies (~50-80%) depending on feedstock and pathway. SAF is expected to contribute ~60-65% of total aviation decarbonisation by 2050.
  • Lower Sulphur: SAF has negligible sulphur content. This leads to a near 100% reduction in SO2 emissions compared to ATF (~3,000 ppm).
  • Fewer Particulates: SAF has virtually zero aromatic compounds (the main producers of soot particles). SAF can reduce particulate matter (PM) emissions by up to 90% and soot particles by up to 55%-90%.
• Multiple production pathways: Multiple production pathways offer supply flexibility, including:
  • HEFA (Hydroprocessed Esters & Fatty Acids) pathway: Used to convert waste oils and fats into fuel. It is the most mature, efficient, and currently dominant method, accounting for almost all operational SAF production.
  • Other pathways: Alcohol-to-Jet; Fischer-Tropsch; Power-to-Liquid (e-fuels)
• Non-food feedstock advantage: Can utilise non-food and waste-based feedstocks, reducing pressure on food systems. 
• Reduces India’s crude oil import bill and improves energy security. 
• Supports rural economy: Feedstock sourcing (crop residue, biomass) generates additional farmer income & promotes bio-economy. 
• Aligns with circular economy principles. Creates a value chain from waste (UCO) to high-value fuel. 

Challenges facing Sustainable Aviation Fuel:  

• Expensive: SAF costs 2-5 times more than conventional jet fuel. Most projections suggest it will remain ~2-3× costlier till 2030 due to limited scale.
• Feedstock Constraints: As of 2026, the overwhelming majority of SAF production is derived from waste fats, oils, and greases (FOGs) as the primary feedstock. Over-reliance on a single pathway (e.g., HEFA) creates scalability risks. Need to utilise diverse feedstocks and production pathways. 
• Feedstock Collection & Logistics: Collection of dispersed feedstocks (agricultural waste, used oils) is fragmented, costly and thus is a logistical challenge. Supply chain infrastructure (storage, blending, delivery to bowsers) needs investment. 
• Scale-up Challenge & Ambitious Targets: SAF accounted for ~0.3-0.5% of global jet fuel consumption in 2024. SAF production remained very small (~1 million tonnes in 2024). Scaling production quickly enough to meet 5% by 2030 is ambitious. 

Global Target to Reduce Carbon Emissions from Civil Aviation: 

• International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), a specialised United Nations agency, is dedicated to reducing carbon emissions from international civil aviation. Key goals of ICAO:
  • 2% annual fuel efficiency improvement through 2050.
  • Carbon Neutral Growth via the CORSIA mechanism.
  • Net zero CO2 emissions from international aviation by 2050 (Long-Term Aspirational Goal).
• ICAO has adopted CORSIA (Carbon Offsetting Reduction Scheme for International Aviation) to reduce carbon emissions from international aviation.
  • CORSIA is the primary market-based mechanism that requires airlines to buy carbon credits for emissions that exceed the 2019 levels. It ensures that any growth in international aviation emissions is compensated through carbon credits.
  • The CORSIA scheme is applicable to international flights only. 

India, being a Member State of the ICAO, is under an obligation to comply with the mandatory phase of CORSIA from 2027. The government has approved indicative SAF blending targets in ATF: 1% by 2027, 2% by 2028 and 5% by 2030, initially for international flights. 

Key Fact: Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) has become the first Indian company to receive ISCC CORSIA certification for SAF production at its Panipat refinery, Haryana. The production of commercial-scale SAF commenced in December 2025.

 UPSC PYQ 2024:

Q.  Consider the following materials:

1. Agricultural residues

2. Corn grain 

3. Wastewater treatment sludge

4. Wood mill waste

Which of the above can be used as feedstock for producing Sustainable Aviation Fuel?

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 3 and 4 only

(c) 1, 2, 3 and 4

(d) 1, 3 and 4 only

Answer: (d)