Sustainable Aviation Fuel

Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), a biofuel having qualities similar to those of regular jet fuel but a lower carbon footprint, is used to power aeroplanes. SAF is created from environmentally friendly materials and may be blended with any type of fossil jet fuel to cut emissions. It can be installed without requiring any modifications to the aircraft or infrastructure because it is a “drop-in” fuel, in comparison to traditional jet fuel.  SAF can significantly lower life cycle GHG emissions depending on the feed-stock and methods utilized to create it. even have a net-negative GHG impact, according to some proposed SAF routes. The aviation sector is investing in alternatives to fossil jet fuels to cut down on flight emissions as air travel around the world increases. Sustainable aviation fuels, which can cut emissions by 80%, are one invention. They are jet fuels made from waste materials and other sustainable renewable sources. The creation of alternative aviation fuels could be the key to environmentally friendly air travel and make a significant contribution to the industry’s aim for reducing emissions.

Importance of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF):

Jet fuel has a high energy density compared to its weight, which has made commercial flight possible. We are dependent on this type of fuel in aviation since there are now no other practical alternatives for swiftly moving large crowds of people over extremely great distances. A significant portion of the world’s carbon dioxide emissions are caused by the aviation sector. Air travel will have a greater global influence on the environment as it grows. The International Council on Clean Transportation predicts that by 2050, carbon dioxide emissions from commercial aviation alone will have tripled. SAF is essential for assisting the aviation sector in lowering its carbon footprint, complying with environmental regulations, and reducing global warming.

• 2% of the world’s emissions of greenhouse gases come from the aviation sector.
• The Indian aviation industry is struggling as a result of rising aviation turbine fuel (ATF) prices. Thus, combining ATF with bio-fuel will aid airlines in combating price increases and lowering ticket prices.
• Utilizing aviation biofuel improves fuel economy and lowers carbon emissions.
• According to a NASA-led worldwide research study, using bio-fuels can cut jet exhaust particle emissions by up to 50%-70%.

Advantages of the Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF):

• Additional Income for Farmers: Farmers can increase their income during the off-seasons by producing biomass crops for SAF production, while also gaining advantages for their farms including lowering nutrient losses and enhancing soil quality.
• Regulatory Services: Biomass crops can reduce erosion and enhance the quantity and quality of water. Additionally, they can boost biodiversity and store carbon in the soil, which has positive effects for both the environment and farms across the nation. SAF made from wet wastes like sewage sludge and manure lessens the pollution load on watersheds and prevents the atmosphere from being filled with dangerous methane gas, a major cause of climate change.
• Enhanced Aeronautical Performance: Since many SAFs have fewer aromatic components, they burn more efficiently in aeroplane engines. As a result, there are fewer toxic chemical emissions in the immediate area of airports during takeoff and landing. Additionally, aromatic substances are precursors to contrails, which can amplify the effects of climate change.
• It can be installed without requiring any modifications to the aircraft because it is a “drop-in” fuel.
• When compared to conventional fossil fuels, it can reduce lifecycle carbon emissions by more than 80%. It can be used in current aircraft engines and airport fuel infrastructure.

Disadvantages of the Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF):

• SAF is currently between two and five times more expensive than fossil fuel, but costs will decline with increased use, and the switch to cleaner fuels would provide a significant contribution to the fight against climate change.

Challenges for the Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF):

• The SAF supply chain in India is still in its infancy; to reach this milestone, a strong strategy and firm policy commitments in the form of viability gap funds and tax incentives to encourage investment in this sector are required.
• The availability of feedstock is not an issue in India; the true difficulty lies in setting up the supply chain for non-edible oils.
• Everything must be streamlined, including production in plants, transportation, gathering, and blending with jet fuel, but India has no SAF production facilities.

Achievements of the Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF):

• With the test flight, India has joined a select group of nations, including the USA, Australia, and Canada, that have tested the use of biofuel in commercial aviation.
• For a 45-minute flight between Dehradun and Delhi, 330 kg of biofuel were produced by the CSIR-Indian Institute of Petroleum (IIP).
• The flight burnt a blend of 75% standard Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) and 25% oil produced from the Jatropha plant. International standards allow up to 50% biofuel to be blended with ATF.
• SAF use will be essential for India, which already has the third-largest domestic aviation market in the world and is expected to continue growing at a rate of about 9% per year, to meet its 2070 goals of carbon reduction and net zero emissions. These goals were set by Prime Minister Sri Narendra Modi of India.
• IndiGo and CSIR-IIP will make particular agreements for projects for SAF based on techno-commercial viability and Environment, Social, and Governance (ESG) value generation.

Conclusion:

SAF offers a remarkable decrease in carbon emissions of up to 80% over the fuel’s lifetime compared to the conventional jet fuel it replaces. For the airline business, fuel is often the single highest operating expense. Long-term planning and budgeting for operating expenses is extremely challenging due to the erratic nature of crude oil prices. SAF might be able to provide a solution since it can be produced globally and using a variety of different feedstocks, which lessens the airlines’ exposure to the fluctuating fuel prices that come with using a single energy source. SAF has the potential to be economically beneficial in regions of the world that have huge amounts of land that is marginal or unsuitable for growing food crops but is appropriate for growing SAF crops, or that have alternative sources of feed-stock like municipal trash. SAF could promote better waste management practices and encourage the creation of more jobs on a social level, as garbage is frequently a source of environmental issues in developing nations. SAF implementation might offer a mutually beneficial way to treat trash while also lowering aviation’s CO2 emissions. Decarbonizing the aviation sector is crucial for India to continue making its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) given the anticipated increase in domestic travel.