In a first for the country, Indian Oil’s Panipat refinery has been certified to produce sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) from used cooking oil (UCO). Cotecna Inspection India Pvt Ltd granted the certification, allowing the refinery to operate as a co-processing plant that can convert used cooking oil to “co-processed oil to be used for replacement” of aviation turbine fuel (ATF), reported The Times of India.
Officials said the petroleum and aviation ministries worked together to introduce a certification process for Indian refineries, with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) coordinating the effort. “With the first certification complete, the focus will now shift to scaling up production so that India can achieve meaningful SAF volumes in the coming years and meet emission targets, according to the media report by TOI.
The Panipat refinery now meets the requirements of the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA), a global programme under the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) aimed at helping the aviation industry reduce its carbon footprint and achieve carbon-neutral growth for international flights.
Founded in 1974 in Switzerland, Cotecna is a global provider of testing, inspection, and certification services. Cotecna Inspection India Pvt Ltd is its Indian subsidiary.
India plans to mandate SAF blending with conventional ATF to curb aviation sector emissions. The proposal under consideration includes an initial target of 1% SAF blending for all international flights by 2027, increasing to 2% the following year, before extending the requirement to domestic flights. SAF is not yet approved for commercial use in India.
Globally and in India, airlines have successfully flown with SAF blends, but experts say large-scale adoption remains constrained by limited supply.
