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Cooking Oil to Power Flights: India's SAF Revolution
15 Mar
Summary
- Used Cooking Oil can fuel SAF production for decarbonizing aviation.
- India could produce 1.36 million tonnes of SAF annually from UCO.
- By 2050, India could become a regional SAF hub with economic benefits.
The SAF Association (SAFA) is urging India to utilize Used Cooking Oil (UCO) for Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) production. This move is central to decarbonizing the aviation sector, which accounts for 2-3% of global greenhouse gas emissions. SAFA has recommended that the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas leverage UCO for SAF production and offer Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) benefits.
SAFA also advocates for robust UCO collection systems across hospitality and food industries. Collecting just 15% of commercial UCO could yield approximately 1.36 million tonnes of SAF yearly. This output would exceed India's projected demand for a 5% SAF blending target by 2030, which is estimated at 0.8 million metric tonnes.
The association further recommended that the government expedite the SAF mandate, with India planning a 1% blending target by 2027, growing to 5% by 2030. While SAF can be produced from various feedstocks, UCO is identified as one of the fastest deployable options for India.
India currently collects only about 6% of its available UCO, with 94% remaining untapped. The nation has significant potential to become a global SAF producer, aiming to produce up to 40 million tonnes annually by 2050. This could generate $40-50 billion in economic value and fulfill up to 5% of global SAF demand.
Rohit Kumar, Secretary General of SAFA, highlighted the dual use of cooking oil: "The same oil that cooks India's meals can power India's flights." SAFA, based in New Delhi, is an industry body dedicated to advancing SAF and aviation decarbonization.
