Praj Industries to set up bio-refinery project in Paraguay
Praj Industries will support the development, assessment, and phased implementation of a fully integrated Biorefinery Project in Paraguay.
The Biorefinery aims to produce, in addition to ethanol, co-products such as distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS), corn oil, biogas, biobitumen and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
This comes on the back of the contract awarded to Praj by Enersur to design, supply, and commission a state-of-the-art 600 m/day Anhydrous Ethanol plant in Canindey Paraguay. This facility, which will use corn as feedstock, represents a significant step forward in Paraguay's commitment to clean energy and rural development, while also contributing to reduced reliance on fossil fuels. Praj's extensive scope of work includes process technology licensing, full-scale design and engineering, supply of core process equipment, and on ground supervisory support. The plant is expected to be fully operational by October 2026.
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Indian Express
5 hours ago
- Indian Express
Used cooking oil to fuel for planes: India's first sustainable aviation fuel plant to start production by year-end
The country's largest refiner and fuel retailer Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) expects to start producing sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) on commercial scale at its Panipat refinery by December, following the recent international certification received by the unit for manufacturing the biofuel from used cooking oil, according to energy major's chairman Arvinder Singh Sahney. By the end of this calendar year, IOC will have the capacity to produce 35,000 tonnes per year of SAF from used cooking oil, which will be sourced from large hotel chains, restaurants, and sweets and snacks majors like Haldiram's, which normally discard cooking oil after single use. 'The capacity (35,000 tonnes per year) will be sufficient to meet the country's 1 per cent SAF blending requirement (for international flights) by 2027…for feedstock (used cooking oil), we will be engaging aggregators to collect it from big hotel chains and restaurants. There is a large amount of such oil available in the country. The only challenge is collection. While it is easy to collect from large hotel chains, a solution needs to be found for collection from small users, including households,' Sahney said. Earlier this week, IOC became the first company in India to receive the ISCC CORSIA certification for SAF production at its Panipat refinery in Haryana. ISCC CORSIA is a certification system for compliance with the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) criteria for SAF. It is a prerequisite for commercial SAF production. According to IOC, the certification also sets a benchmark for other domestic refiners and industry players to scale up SAF production. SAF is a biofuel that is produced from sustainable feedstocks and has chemistry similar to conventional aviation turbine fuel (ATF) or jet fuel, which is derived from crude oil. This means that existing aircraft engines can easily use the SAF-ATF blend. For instance, Airbus claims that all its aircraft are capable of flying on a maximum 50 per cent blend of SAF and conventional fuel. Various Indian airlines have already operated successfully a few test and demonstration flights using jet fuel doped with SAF in various proportions. According to aviation industry and energy experts, SAF alone is likely to account for over 60 per cent of the global aviation industry's decarbonisation efforts. According to Sahney, given that Europe already has SAF blending mandates, European airlines could be the first potential buyers of IOC's SAF, which they can buy when they fly into India. The refiner is also exploring export opportunities, given that SAF demand is expected to shoot up globally over the coming years. The year 2027 will be an important one for adoption of SAF globally with the mandatory phase of CORSIA kicking in. CORSIA, which applies to international flights, would require airlines globally to offset any growth in carbon dioxide emissions beyond the 2020 levels. Using jet fuel blended with SAF is one of the ways through which carriers can keep their emissions under permissible levels. India, too, will have to comply with the mandatory phase starting 2027. In line with the CORSIA framework, India's National Biofuel Coordination Committee (NBCC) has set the initial indicative targets for blending of SAF with jet fuel 2027 onwards, starting with international flights. The indicative targets are: 1 per cent blending in 2027 and 2 per cent in 2028. The government is expected to announce SAF blending mandates for domestic flights in India as well, but only after blending for international flights begins 2027 onwards. The government has been working on a roadmap for introduction of SAF in domestic flights and there were indications earlier that some sort of a blending mandate or recommendation could take effect over the next couple of years. However, given the high cost of production of the biofuel and opposition from airlines over apprehensions of fuel cost escalation, the government is now looking at introducing any such mandate only from 2027 or beyond. According to industry insiders, SAF currently costs around three times the price of regular jet fuel. While IOC has received the certification for the used cooking oil pathway for SAF production, the company is also working on setting up units based on the alcohol-to-jet pathway, which involves using ethanol as a feedstock to make SAF. A few other companies in India are also working to build units based on the various SAF manufacturing pathways. All such technologies and units need to be certified before they can start commercial operations.
Time of India
10 hours ago
- Time of India
Cooking oil to aviation fuel: IndianOil's Panipat refinery bags global certification for SAF production; 35,000 tonnes targeted by year-end
Representative (AI-image) IndianOil 's Panipat refinery has received international certification to convert used cooking oil from homes and restaurants into sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), company chairman Arvinder Singh Sahney said. The refinery has obtained the ICAO's ISCC CORSIA certification, developed under the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation, to produce SAF from used cooking oil, PTI reported. 'We are the only company in the country to get this certification,' Sahney said. 'The refinery will start producing some 35,000 tonnes per annum of SAF from the end of the calendar year.' According to him, this production capacity will be sufficient to meet India's requirement of blending 1 per cent SAF with conventional jet fuel by 2027. Under government rules, international airlines will need to use 1 per cent SAF-blended aviation turbine fuel (ATF) starting that year. SAF can be mixed with ATF up to 50 per cent. Collection agencies will source used cooking oil from large establishments such as hotels, restaurants, and companies including Haldiram, and supply it to the Panipat refinery. The facility will process the oil into SAF. 'There is a large amount of such oil available in the country. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Emma & Mia Are Retiring — Their Handmade Jewelry Is 80% Off The Craft Weekly Read More Undo The only challenge is collection. While it is easy to collect from large hotel chains, a solution needs to be found for collection from small users, including households,' Sahney added. He explained that SAF produced at Panipat has 'undergone rigorous assessment for lifecycle carbon emissions and traceability, creating a clear pathway for Indian airlines to integrate certified SAF into their operations.' Other initiatives IndianOil also commissioned a Rs 5,000 crore Butyl Acrylate (BA) unit at its Koyali refinery in Gujarat, used in paint manufacturing. The 1,50,000 tonnes per year facility is the second in India after BPCL's Kochi unit. 'The paint industry is growing at a CAGR of 13-14 per cent, and the bulk of the raw material they use is imported. In July, we commissioned the BA unit at Koyali refinery, which will eliminate the need to import, saving foreign exchange for the country,' Sahney said. He added that together with BPCL's Kochi facility, the new unit can replace 80-90 per cent of India's BA imports. Sahney also announced that L&T has been selected to construct the nation's largest green hydrogen facility at Panipat. 'The 10,000 tonnes a year green hydrogen unit at the Panipat refinery will be ready in 27 months,' he said. The fuel will replace grey hydrogen currently used at refineries, lowering the carbon footprint of operations. Green hydrogen, produced by splitting water using renewable energy, emits only water vapour. Despite high global production costs, Sahney noted that India's comparatively low-cost renewable power keeps the price under USD 4 per kg. 'IndianOil remains agile and nimble in product innovation and meeting fast-changing energy dynamics. A lot of other innovations are in the works, which will be unveiled when they mature,' Sahney said. He added that IndianOil's SAF certification sets a benchmark for other refiners to increase production, helping the aviation sector lower emissions and supporting India's 2070 net-zero target. Stay informed with the latest business news, updates on bank holidays , public holidays , current gold rate and silver price .
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Business Standard
10 hours ago
- Business Standard
Used cooking oil to produce sustainable aviation fuel: Indian Oil chairman
Cooking oil is often discarded after being used for frying at home or in restaurants. However, a refinery of Indian Oil has now won a certification to use the same oil to produce sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), the company chairman Arvinder Singh Sahney said. SAF is an alternative fuel made from non-petroleum feedstocks that reduces emissions from air transportation. It can be blended up to 50 per cent in conventional aviation turbine fuel (ATF or jet fuel), depending on availability. India has mandated 1 per cent SAF blending in jet fuel sold to international airlines from 2027. Indian Oil's Panipat refinery in Haryana has won the International Civil Aviation Organization's (ICAO) ISCC CORSIA certification (International Sustainability and Carbon Certification - ISCC - developed under the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) to produce SAF from used cooking oil, he said. "We are the only company in the country to get this certification," he said. "The refinery will start producing some 35,000 tonnes per annum of SAF from the end of the calendar year." The production will be enough to meet the mandated 1 per cent blending requirement for the country in 2027, he added. Explaining the process, agencies will collect used cooking oil from large users, such as hotel chains, restaurants, and snacks and sweets producing companies like Haldiram, and supply it to Panipat refinery. Panipat refinery will use this oil to produce SAF, he said. Large hotels and restaurant chains normally discard cooking oil after one use. At present, this used cooking oil is collected by agencies and exported. "There is a large amount of such oil available in the country. The only challenge is collection. While it is easy to collect from large hotel chains, a solution needs to be found for collection from small users, including households," he said. Parallely, the company has also set up a Rs 5,000 crore plant at its Koyali refinery in Gujarat to produce Butyl Acrylate (BA), which is used in making paints. The 1,50,000 tonnes per annum Butyl Acrylate plant, only second in India after BPCL's unit at Kochi refinery, will help end 3,20,000 tonnes of annual paint feedstock that the country currently imports, Sahney noted. State-owned Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) has been at the forefront of innovations, particularly in the areas of green energy, sustainable solutions, and technological advancements. The firm is working on renewable energy sources, like 2G ethanol, fuel cells, bio-diesel, and energy storage devices. "The paint industry is growing at a CAGR of 13-14 per cent, and the bulk of the raw material they use is imported. In July, we commissioned the BA unit at Koyali refinery, which will eliminate the need to import, saving foreign exchange for the country," he said. Together with the Kochi plant, the new unit can substitute as much as 80-90 per cent of imports, he said. On green hydrogen, Sahney said the company awarded a tender for the country's largest green hydrogen plant to L&T. "The 10,000 tonnes a year green hydrogen unit at the Panipat refinery will be ready in 27 months," he said. Green hydrogen, produced from splitting water using renewable energy, is a clean energy source that only emits water vapour and leaves no residue in the air, unlike coal and oil. It can be used in industries and automobiles as fuel, but the prohibitive production cost has been a stumbling block. India has relatively cheaper renewable energy (electricity produced from sunlight and wind), which has helped keep green hydrogen production cost at less than USD 4 per kg, the chairman said, adding that Indian Oil will use the fuel in its Panipat refinery. Refineries, currently, use grey hydrogen - hydrogen produced from fossil fuels - in hydrocracking units to produce fuels like petrol and jet fuels. "Indian Oil remains agile and nimble in product innovation and meeting fast-changing energy dynamics," Sahney said. "A lot of other innovations are in the works, which will be unveiled when they mature." Explaining the SAF certification process, he said, "SAF produced at IOC's Panipat refinery has undergone rigorous assessment for lifecycle carbon emissions and traceability, creating a clear pathway for Indian airlines to integrate certified SAF into their operations". Certifications like ISCC CORSIA ensure the fuel meets environmental and social standards. The certification also sets a benchmark for other domestic refiners and industry players to scale up SAF production, in line with the government's vision of achieving net-zero emissions by 2070. With this recognition, IOC has once again reaffirmed its role as a trailblazer in India's energy transition, bringing India closer to a greener and cleaner aviation future. India plans to mandate blending of SAF with conventional ATF in a staged manner. One per cent SAF blending in ATF sold to all international flights is to start from 2017 and increase to 2 per cent in the following year. SpiceJet had flown a test flight, using a blend of 75 per cent regular ATF and 25 per cent biofuel in August 2018. Subsequently, IndiGo did a demonstration flight using a 10 per cent SAF blend on an international flight in February 2022. While CORSIA is a key part of the International Civil Aviation Organization's (ICAO) strategy to achieve carbon-neutral growth for international flights going ahead, Cotecna is a leading provider of testing, inspection and certification services. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
