“Let this be a Kitty-Hawk moment for the introduction of Bio-ATF in the Indian Aviation Sector” – These were the closing comments made by Gp Capt (Dr) Asheesh Shrivastava, as the Aeronautical Society of India-sponsored event on Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) drew to a close on Sept 16, 2022, at New Delhi.
The event was inaugurated by Shri Ajay Bhatt, Hon’ble MOS Defence & Tourism, with a conspicuous presence of Dr V. K. Saraswat, Member, NITI Aayog and Dr G. Satheesh Reddy, Scientific Advisor to Raksha Mantri & President-Elect, AeSI.
On March 10, 2021, the standing committee on Petroleum & Natural Gas (2020-21) presented the Sixth report on the subject “Review of Progress in Production of Non-Conventional Fuels with Specific Reference to Bio-Fuels” to the Parliament. One of the significant recommendations of the committee included prioritising the setting up of a demonstration-scale bio-ATF plant at one of the refineries and supporting R&D activities for the development of the Bio-ATF so that the Indian Aviation Sector and Indian Air Force can use this on a larger scale and at an early date.
This is important as by 2027, India would have to participate in the CORSIA (Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation) scheme. Even though Military aviation is exempt from CORSIA, IAF has booked a prominent place at the table aiming to limit the Indian Air Force and Indian Aviation sector’s contribution to global carbon footprint and emission of greenhouse gases.Such an effort would also reduce the import bill as the aviation sector continues to show phenomenal growth.
The Indian Air Force, as per the Ministry of Defence (MoD)’s indigenisation policy, is involved in the testing and certification of indigenous products and is committed to sharing its aircraft, test pilots, engineers and infrastructure for this national cause.
The IAF journey with Bio-ATF had begun almost four years earlier, on December 17, 2018, with India’s first military flight using blended bio-jet fuel on the An-32 transport aircraft. It was a joint effort of IAF, DRDO, Directorate General Aeronautical Quality Assurance (DGAQA) and CSIR-Indian Institute of Petroleum. The fuel was made from Jatropha oil sourced from Chattisgarh Biodiesel Development Authority (CBDA) and then processed at CSIR-IIP, Dehradun.
Since the December 17, 2018 flight, IAF has flown 65 Hours with this 10% blend of Biofuel. The intent is to clock 200 flight hours within the next six months. This was stated by AVM S K Jain, VSM ACAS (Maintenance Place), who gave an overview of the IAF’s Successful “Biojet Fuel Project.”
Almost all the participants relied extensively on the Insight Report published World Economic Forum in partnership with McKinsey & Company titled “Deploying Sustainable Fuels at Scale in India: A Cleans Skies for Tomorrow Publication.”
(Click on the Photograph to View the Report)
There were riveting discussions and presentations made by various speakers, with Shri Shanmuganathan C, Regional Manager, BPCL pitching for India championing the cause of Standardisation of Bio Fuels & Dr Hemant Jambhekar, Director, Purti Power & Sugar Ltd speaking about achieving self-reliance in Aviation Fuel through the cultivation of Pongamia Pinnata (Karanja) plant.
Dr Anjan Ray, Director, CSIR-IIP, emphasised the need to focus on calculating the net energy ratio from a sustainability viewpoint and pitched for decentralised cost-effective solutions that address the demand and supply gaps while being adaptable to the existing infrastructure.
There was an international presence with Mr Daniel Lee, Public Affairs Manager APAC, Neste Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd. Singapore, speaking on his company’s efforts to become one of the global leaders in the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Industry.
Mr Paul Jeffery Finklestein, Director- Marketting Pratt & Whitney spoke about the design of new Aero Engines and supporting technologies to reduce carbon footprint including the GTF Tech (16% reduction in fuel consumption), Hybrid & Distributed Propulsion technologies and the focus on improving efficiency of powertrains.
The path towards introducing the Bio-ATF in the IAF and the Indian Aviation Sector is still some distance away. It would require a concentrated effort on the part of the National Bio-Fuel Coordination Committee (NBCC) with participation from representatives of 14 Ministries and departments.
This AeSI conference was steered by Shri A S Kiran Kumar, Former Chairman ISRO & President, AeSI & Shri Amarjeet Kumar Gupta, Hon. Secy General -AesI, Resident Manager Customer Support (India & Nepal) Pratt & Whitney was an essential contribution towards Indian aviations’ sustainability efforts.
It may also be a prudent step to establish a dedicated Centre of Excellence that focuses on R&D in Bio-ATF besides defining Certification Standards & establishing Test Facilities. All this is to promote carbon-neutral aviation transport technology through sustainable production, testing and efficient utilisation of Bio-ATF in India.
