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India Today
4 days ago
- India Today
Used cooking oil to power jet engines, so fry hard
After jatropha and ethanol, your kitchen's used cooking oil is the new India's blender's pride. After ethanol-blended petrol for your car, India is on a quest to alchemise your kitchen kadhai's greasy gunk into jet fuel. Because nothing says "sustainable" like your pakoda oil getting a second life as rocket juice for a 747. Fly high, samosa style!Indian Oil's Panipat refinery has been crowned the country's first to pump out sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) from used cooking oil, The Times of India reported. The word "sustainable" makes eco-warriors faint with joy, and SAF is just one "E" shy of SAFE. Maybe we should toss in Union Minister Nitin Gadkari's beloved ethanol and call it SAFE: Sustainable, Awesome, Fry-powered from Swiss certification firm Cotecna's Indian arm have certified the Panipat refinery, declaring it fit to turn your post-pakoda sludge into jet fuel. They have also saddled us with CORSIA (Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation), a UN dream to make planes fly without guilt. By 2027, India has been roped into blending 1% SAF for international flights, inching to 2% by 2028. Domestic flights will follow. Late arrivals are not NO STRANGER TO SUSTAINABLE AVIATION FUELSAF is no stranger to our headlines, even if it makes little headway. Back in August 2018, SpiceJet flew a Bombardier from Dehradun to Delhi on a 75:25 mix of aviation turbine fuel (ATF) and jatropha-based biofuel, cooked by the Indian Institute of 2022, IndiGo flew with a 10% SAF blend on a ferry flight from Toulouse to Delhi. These trips are made to make headlines, followed by the kind of silence you hear after a flop Bollywood that weed we have idolised since childhood for its firepower, was once India's biofuel heartthrob. In the 2000s, we planted it like crazy, believing it would free us from oil imports. It did not. Yields on marginal lands were as pathetic as Raid 2, and it gobbled farmland, jacking up food prices. Now, it's a sidekick, not Shah Rukh Khan of has had it better because it found a guardian in Nitin Gadkari. India hit 20% ethanol blending in petrol by 2025, five years early, saving Rs 1.36 lakh crore in foreign exchange and pumping production from 38 crore litres in 2014 to 661.1 crore your scooter is whining about mileage, and your car's fuel injectors are throwing tantrums, you clearly are from the petrol lobby. Tough luck, aam aadmi, tweet your tears, but ethanol is here to stay. Buy an E-20-compliant car and see the blending go up to E-27 as government is now eyeing ethanol for SAF via the alcohol-to-jet (ATJ) pathway, aiming for 30 billion litres annually from crop waste and municipal trash. It is pricier than ATF, like Chayos chai versus roadside cutting, but who, if not you, will sustain the sugar industry by buying its byproduct?REAL PAKODA OF COOKING OIL PUZZLEadvertisementNow, the real pakoda of a puzzle: collecting used cooking oil. Where will the Panipat refinery source the crude oil to refine, in this case, used mustard oil. By door-to-door collection, like trash collected every morning? Will we have 3 coloured bins now: green, blue and yellow for the oil? Or grovelling to pakoda-walas to donate their black, tar-like treasure, reused till it's basically liquid regret? The answer, my friend, is frying in the kadhai!India could churn out 19-24 million tonnes of SAF yearly, but a 5% blending target needs 140 million litres of oil. That's a Himalayan pile of pakodas to fry. Supply chains are shakier than a cycle rickshaw on a Gurugram flyover. Villagers in Chhattisgarh and Karnataka scrounge jungles for jatropha seeds, which then hitch-hike hundreds of miles to where you, proud Bharatiya naagrik, become the hero India didn't ask for. Set up a pakoda stall, and you are not just self-employed, you are a cog in the crude oil supply chain to Panipat. Fry hard, dream big! India's gunning for 8-10 million tonnes of SAF by 2040, needing Rs 6-7 lakh crore in investments to cut oil imports by $5-7 billion annually. Over 1.2 million jobs could sprout, if we ever sort out this logistical fuel your imagination, not disappointments. Turning your kitchen oil into jet fuel is like betting on a bullock cart to win Formula 1. If we can somehow wrangle the oily drippings from a billion samosa-holding hands, maybe, just maybe, that cart will zoom past the chequered flag. Until then, keep frying pakodas and save the planet.(Kamlesh Singh, a columnist and satirist, is Tau of the popular Teen Taal podcast)- Ends(Views expressed in this opinion piece are those of the author)
Time of India
5 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
From samosa oil to jet fuel: Indian Oil's Panipat refinery gets SAF certification; 1st in India to use cooking oil for aviation
Representative Image NEW DELHI: That vegetable oil from your last samosa could soon help power your next flight. In a national first, Indian Oil's Panipat refinery has been certified to produce sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) by converting used cooking oil into jet-grade fuel. The move marks a milestone in the country's green aviation push and aligns with global carbon reduction goals. Swiss-based Cotecna Inspection Group, through its Indian arm Cotecna Inspection India Pvt Ltd, issued the certification after a coordinated effort between the petroleum and aviation ministries and DGCA. 'This is the first Indian refinery certified as a co-processing plant for SAF,' said an official familiar with the development. 'The focus now shifts to ramping up production to ensure a meaningful SAF presence in coming years and meet emissions targets.' The Panipat unit complies with CORSIA — carbon offsetting and reduction scheme for international aviation — a key initiative under UN's International Civil Aviation Organization to curb aviationrelated emissions. India is weighing a SAF blending mandate, starting with 1% SAF in all international flights by 2027, increasing to 2% thereafter. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like What Will Happen to Your Body If You Start Eating 3 Eggs Every Day? Undo Blending for domestic routes may follow, though SAF is not yet permitted for regular commercial flights in the country. Test flights have paved the runway. In Aug 2018, SpiceJet flew India's first biojet-fuelled test flight — a Bombardier Q400 from Dehradun to Delhi — using a 75:25 blend of ATF and biofuel made from jatropha by Dehradun-based Indian Institute of Petroleum. IndiGo followed suit in Feb 2022 with a 10% SAF blend on a ferry flight from Toulouse to Delhi. Globally and in India, airlines have shown interest — but supply remains the biggest challenge. With the Panipat breakthrough, the country inches closer to reducing aviation's carbon footprint — using used edible oil. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and s ilver prices in your area.
Time of India
6 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
First for India: IOC Panipat refinery certified to produce sustainable aviation fuel
NEW DELHI: In a first for India, a refinery here has been certified to produce sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). Cotecna Inspection India Pvt Ltd has certified Indian Oil's Panipat refinery to convert used cooking oil to 'co-processed oil to be used for replacement' of aviation turbine fuel (ATF). 'The Union petroleum and aviation ministries worked together to have an agency certify refineries in India for SAF production. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) coordinated this and as a result a first refinery has got certified as a co-processing plant. Now the focus will be on stepping up production to have a meaningful amount of SAF in India in coming years and meet the emission targets,' said people in the know. The Panipat refinery now complies with the requirements of 'carbon offsetting and reduction scheme for international aviation' (CORSIA) — a global market-based measure designed to help international aviation industry reduce its carbon footprint. CORSIA is a key part of International Civil Aviation Organisation's (ICAO) strategy to achieve carbon-neutral growth for international flights going ahead. Founded in 1974 in Switzerland, Cotecna is a leading provider of testing, inspection and certification services. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Knee Pain After 50? Try This Before Reaching for Pills Read More Undo Cotecna Inspection India Pvt Ltd is part of that group. India plans to mandate blending of SAF with conventional ATF to reduce carbon emissions from the aviation sector. The plan is to consider an initial SAF blending target of 1% for all international flights by 2027 and increasing that to 2% in the next year or so. Subsequently, blending may be managed for domestic flights. SAF is not yet permitted for commercial flights in India. SpiceJet had conducted India's first biojet fuel flight, using a blend of 75% regular ATF and 25% biofuel in Aug 2018. The flight, a test run, was operated on a Bombardier Q400 aircraft from Dehradun to Delhi. This biofuel was developed by the Indian Institute of Petroleum in Dehradun, using jatropha as a feedstock. Subsequently, IndiGo conducted demonstration flights using SAF blended with regular ATF when in Feb 2022 it operated its first international ferry flight with a 10% SAF blend from Toulouse to Delhi. Airlines globally and in India have done test flights with blended ATF. However, the biggest challenge everywhere is the availability of SAF in required volumes.
Euractiv
04-08-2025
- Business
- Euractiv
EU could earn €1 trillion by fully taxing aviation, private jets included
The EU could boost its carbon pricing revenues from aviation by up to tenfold if it eliminates key exemptions and fully applies its emissions rules to the sector, according to a new study by Carbon Market Watch. The green watchdog says the planned 2026 revision of the EU's CO₂ pricing system is an 'excellent opportunity' to both cut aviation emissions and generate significant funding for climate policies. Despite the sector's substantial climate impact, intercontinental flights to and from Europe remain largely exempt from the EU's emissions trading system (ETS) – the bloc's main tool for pricing carbon pollution from heavy-emitting sectors. Currently, only intra-European flights are fully covered, and even then, half of their emissions are exempt until 2026. Airlines are also required to monitor their non-CO₂ emissions – including water vapour, nitrogen oxides, and sulphur dioxide – but these warming effects remain excluded from carbon pricing. Billions in missed revenue According to Carbon Market Watch, extending CO₂ pricing to all intercontinental commercial flights from and to Europe could increase projected revenues between 2025 and 2040 from €112 billion to €417 billion. That figure would be limited to €196 billion if the rules applied only to EU routes and flights connecting Europe with countries that do not participate in the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) – a controversial and less stringent international carbon offsetting system still under development. But if the EU ETS were expanded to include private aviation and the pricing of non-CO₂ climate effects, total revenues could reach a staggering €1.1 trillion, the study adds. Ending exemptions and prioritising e-kerosene Carbon Market Watch is urging EU policymakers to extend carbon emission pricing to all departing flights from the European Economic Area (EEA) – which includes the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway – and end exemptions for private jets. The group also calls for restricting the use of the 20 million free emission permits granted to the sector to cover the cost premium of cleaner fuels. The permits should fund only e-kerosene, a synthetic and carbon-neutral fuel when made from green hydrogen and captured CO₂ , and not biofuels, which have questionable sustainability benefits, says Carbon Market Watch. Currently, e-kerosene remains scarce and expensive, and accounts for just a fraction of the EU's targets for clean jet fuel blends. (de, cs)
Skift
27-06-2025
- Business
- Skift
Singapore Airlines' Emissions Rise, Climate Rules Threaten Higher Costs
Singapore Airlines' growing fleet of more fuel-efficient aircraft shows commitment to lower emissions, but it also locks in decades of continued fossil fuel use, with sustainable aviation fuel still limited. Singapore Airlines' emissions are rising as the carrier expands operations, but the company says it remains on track to hit its 2050 climate goals. In its latest sustainability report, Singapore Airlines Group reported that total emissions rose more than 13% over the past financial year, from 18.8 million tonnes of CO₂e to 21.4 million tonnes. The airline, which has orders for over 70 new planes, pointed to strong passenger demand and ongoing airspace restrictions, which have forced longer flight routes, as key reasons behind the increase. The company's CEO, Goh Choon Phong, said its investment in newer aircraft, which the industry says emits up 25% less carbon, will help in plans to reduce emissions to almost zero by 2050. 'Our long-term commitment to investing in and operating new-generation aircraft puts us in a strong position,' Goh said. 'As of 31 March 2025, the average age of the Group's operating fleet was seven years and eight months, well below the global average of 15 years.' Rising Costs From Climate Rules and Compliance At the same time, the carrier warned that complying with international climate regulations could come at a significant cost in the years ahead. It estimated the global aviation carbon offsetting scheme, known as CORSIA, which most airlines are a part of, could cost the airline around $150 million by 2030. CORSIA requires airlines to purchase credits if their emissions exceed 85% of their 2019 levels, with the goal of offsetting the climate impact of growing international air travel. In its report, the airline flagged its scope 1 emissions, which are mainly made up of fuel, as the main driver of future compliance costs. Singapore Airlines pointed to sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) as a long-term solution. SAF can reduce emissions by around 65% compared to traditional jet fuel, according to the sector. The airline called SAF 'a critical lever for decarbonisation' and said it would continue to support its development and use. Managing Climate Risks singapore airlines helped install flood defences at singapore airport. source; changi airport group The airline said that other climate-related risks, such as extreme weather and infrastructure threats, currently have a limited financial impact. However, it estimated that direct costs from these risks could reach up to around $35 million by 2030. As part of its preparations, Singapore Airlines said it has invested in flood prevention measures at Singapore Changi Airport, including flood barriers and new drain sensors. Skift contacted Singapore Airlines for additional comment on its climate strategy and financial forecasts, but the company did not respond. Skift's in-depth reporting on climate issues is made possible through the financial support of Intrepid Travel. This backing allows Skift to bring you high-quality journalism on one of the most important topics facing our planet today. Intrepid is not involved in any decisions made by Skift's editorial team.
