The Indian Sugar & Bio Energy Manufacturers Association (ISMA) on Thursday announced that it has signed a Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) with The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) and PRAJ Industries to advance sustainable bioenergy solutions. The MoUs focus on Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) and explore the potential of bio-ethanol, bio-gas, green bio-hydrogen and green methanol.
“Unlike conventional jet fuels, SAF produced from renewable resources can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions which remains one of the biggest challenges. By virtue of our collaboration, we will leverage the research and policy expertise of TERI and the technology solutions of PRAJ to negate such challenges and build a robust bioenergy ecosystem,” ISMA’s director-general Deepak Ballani said in a statement.
Aimed at building a bio-economy and low-carbon energy infrastructure in India, this collaboration will play an integral role in promoting knowledge sharing, policy advocacy, and capacity building, he said.
ATF blending
The latest collaboration will create an enabling environment for SAF production and deployment, aligning with the government’s sustainability goals, ISMA said adding it will further catalyse the country’s commitment to meeting the requirement of 1 per cent blending of SAF with Aviation Turbine Fuel by 2027 and 5 per cent by 2030 under the CORSIA mandates of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). CORSIA’s second voluntary pilot phase is currently in progress (2024-26).
The aviation industry accounts for 3 per cent of global carbon emissions or nearly 1 billion tonnes every year. With the sector’s growing contribution to carbon footprint, the need for an alternative to traditional jet fuel becomes more pressing, the industry body said.