Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) has commissioned a demonstration plant for Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) at its Visakh Refinery, marking a significant milestone in India’s clean aviation journey. The facility will manufacture SAF by co-processing used cooking oil (UCO) in the refinery’s Full Conversion Hydrocracker Unit, making use of existing infrastructure.
Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri said on Friday that the initiative moves India closer to achieving its SAF blending goals of 1 per cent by 2027, 2 per cent by 2028, and 5 per cent by 2030. He noted that the project reflects the country’s steady progress towards cleaner and more sustainable aviation fuels under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
According to HPCL’s roadmap, following CORSIA certification, the Visakh Refinery is expected to produce around 10 thousand metric tonnes (TMT) of SAF annually from January 2027. The production will contribute to India’s efforts to decarbonise the aviation sector while advancing a circular, waste-to-wealth economy.
The initiative is expected to enhance India’s energy self-reliance, align domestic fuel production with global CORSIA standards, and support the country’s Net-Zero emissions commitments.
Several public sector undertakings and research institutions, including Indian Oil Corporation Limited, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited, Hindustan Petroleum Limited, Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited, Chennai Petroleum Corporation Limited, CSIR–Indian Institute of Petroleum, and the Indian Institute of Petroleum, are actively engaged in SAF production and research.
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has adopted the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) as a global, market-based mechanism aimed at reducing emissions from international flights by requiring airlines to offset emissions exceeding a defined baseline.
