Why in News?
India is expected to mandate SAF blending in jet fuel for international flights: 1% from 2027, 2% from 2028, 5% from 2030 (industry sources; official announcement awaited), as the mandatory phase of CORSIA begins in January 2027. Industry is worried that a comprehensive national SAF policy and a carbon-credit framework are not yet in place.
UPSC Relevance
GS III — Environment: climate mitigation, net-zero, aviation emissions, carbon markets; Economy: energy transition, biofuels, infrastructure (aviation).
GS II — International institutions: ICAO and global climate governance.
What is SAF
A “drop-in” aviation fuel made from non-petroleum feedstocks (used cooking oil, agricultural residues, waste, ethanol-based routes), blended with conventional jet fuel (certified blends are up to 50%). It can cut lifecycle CO2 sharply (often cited up to about 80%).
Why aviation needs it: Aviation emits about 2% of global CO2 and is hard to abate: long-haul flights cannot be electrified easily, so cleaner liquid fuel is the main near-term lever.
What is CORSIA
- The ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization, a UN agency) global market-based measure, adopted in 2016, to keep net international aviation emissions at or below 85% of 2019 levels.
- Airlines cover the gap through SAF or eligible carbon credits.
- Phases: voluntary (2021 to 2026), mandatory 2027 to 2035 for flights between participating States.
- It complements ICAO’s long-term goal of net-zero aviation by 2050.
India’s position
- Expected blending ramp: 1% (2027), 2% (2028), 5% (2030) for international flights.
- Offsetting liability of Indian airlines: about 5 million tonnes of CO2 a year; credits at $10-15 imply a $50-75 million annual bill.
- Capacity: ICAO study puts potential at 14 to 33 million tonnes; today, Indian Oil’s Panipat refinery is readying 30,000 tonnes (co-processing used cooking oil, with an alcohol-to-jet unit planned).
- Foreign mandates already bite Indian carriers: EU 2% (2025) rising to 6% (2030); UK 2% (2025) rising to 10% (2030).
Positives
- Cuts aviation emissions; supports net-zero 2070.
- Opens an export and investment opportunity (used cooking oil, residues, ethanol).
- Lowers import dependence; adds rural and waste-value income.
- Helps airlines avoid higher offset costs.
Negatives/Issues
- No national SAF policy yet: blending, pricing, domestic production and export rules are pending.
- SAF costs 2 to 5 times aviation turbine fuel (ATF); airlines seek price parity.
- Feedstock competition (Europe also needs used cooking oil); small domestic capacity.
- Unclear carbon-credit eligibility, international authorisation of projects and airline emissions reporting.
- Cost burden on airlines; risk of food-versus-fuel pressures if crop-based feedstocks expand.
Way forward
- Finalise a national SAF policy covering blending, pricing, domestic production and exports.
- Viability gap support and offtake guarantees; aim for price parity.
- Build feedstock collection (used cooking oil, residues) and alcohol-to-jet capacity.
- Set up carbon-credit eligibility, authorisation and monitoring-reporting-verification systems.
- Allow regulated exports while prioritising domestic needs.
Prelims MCQ
Q. With reference to the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) and Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), consider the following statements:
- CORSIA was adopted by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in 2016.
- Under CORSIA, airlines must offset international-flight emissions above an agreed baseline (85% of 2019 levels) using SAF or eligible carbon credits.
- SAF is an alternative fuel made from non-petroleum feedstocks such as used cooking oil.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer: (d) 1, 2 and 3 — All three statements are correct: CORSIA was adopted by ICAO in 2016, requires airlines to offset emissions above the 85%-of-2019 baseline using SAF or eligible credits, and SAF is made from non-petroleum feedstocks.
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