In India, Praj Industries Ltd (Praj) has held an inauguration ceremony of its Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) demonstration facility at its R&D Center in Pune, State of Maharashtra.
Praj has developed a proprietary technology at its R&D Center to process agricultural feedstocks for the production of SAF that can be blended with Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF).
The hard-to-abate aviation industry is one of the largest consumers of fossil fuels and an emitter of greenhouse gases (GHGs).
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has pledged to achieve net-zero emissions from the aviation sector by 2050. Harnessing SAF is regarded as the most promising pathway for helping achieve this target.
This facility demonstrating indigenously developed technology for the production of SAF is a testament to India’s rising prowess in the global bioeconomy. Utilization of captive agri-resources for the production of biofuels such as SAF is aligned with the government’s goals towards Atma Nirbhar Bharat and will go a long way in helping India achieve its energy self-reliance by 2047. I compliment the visionary leadership of Dr Pramod Chaudhari and Team Praj for this exciting development, said Union Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas and Housing & Urban Affairs, Shri. Hardeep Singh Puri, in his address during the inauguration ceremony.
Low-carbon SAF has a significant role in helping India achieve its net zero goal targets by 2070.
According to the India Brand Equity Foundation 2023 report, the government has set a target to operationalize 1,000 UDAN routes and to revive 100 airports by 2024.
This makes India the world’s third-largest and fastest-growing civil aviation market.
The inauguration of the SAF demonstration facility is yet another milestone in Praj’s pursuit of energy transition through bioeconomy. Recently, we collaborated with IOCL and AirAsia India to successfully fly India’s first commercial passenger flight with 1 percent SAF produced at our bench scale setup that was blended with ATF. We truly believe in India’s potential to be a hub for supplying SAF for the global aviation industry and we stand committed to helping build SAF production capacities. We thank Hon. Minister Shri. Hardeep Singh Puri ji for his continued guidance and encouragement, said Dr Pramod Chaudhari, Executive Chairman, Praj Industries.
