BPCL In Talks With Sulzer To Make Aviation Fuel From Used Cooking Oil

The oil marketing company (OMC) has been working on developing jet fuel from used cooking oil (UCO), commonly known as the UCO-to-ATF method.

“BPCL has indegiously developed the catalyst for sustainable aviation fuel using cooking oil. It has been successfully developed and is in the laboratory stage. For scaling it to the demonstration and commercial stage, it is now looking to partner with a global player," said a person familiar with the development.

The commercialization of the product is likely to take a few years, another person said.

Sulzer has been major engineering player in the sustainable fuel space. In November, it tied up with Malaysian energy company Vandelay Ventures Sdn Bhd for building a production facility for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and renewable diesel. Under the agreement, Sulzer Chemtech, in cooperation with Duke Technologies LLC, will provide its BioFlux licenced technology, basic engineering packages (BEP) and technical services.

SAF is among several sustainable products BPCL is foraying into in the run-up to its ambitious net zero target of 2040. It is also diversifying into development of second-generation ethanol and ethanol-diesel blend and petrochemicals, among others. It is developing an integrated ‘2G+1G’ bio-ethanol refinery at Bargarh, Odisha.

Recently, in a presentation, the company said that “BPCL is committed to reduce carbon emission by manufacturing bio-ATF as per CORSIA (Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation)." It added that the company has developed the catalyst and the process to develop sustainable aviation fuel through the UCO-to-ATF mode.

The other key model of SAF development is alcohol-to-ATF which several other companies including the other major PSU energy major IndianOil Corporation have adopted. In February, IndianOil entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with LanzaJet, a US-based sustainable fuels technology company and sustainable fuels producer to explore the development of sustainable aviation fuel production in India.

Queries sent to BPCL and Sulzer remained unanswered at press time.

The focus on sustainable jet fuel has gained momentum with India setting up a net zero carbon emission target for 2070. On 19 April, Mint reported that the Centre is considering issuing a directive mandating airlines to use blended sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) by 2025.

In an interview to Mint, Union civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said: “We have put together an advisory saying we will look at 1% blending of sustainable aviation fuel by 2025, 2% by 2026, and 5% by 2030.“

On 19 May, Air Asia flew India’s first commercial passenger flight using indigenously produced sustainable aviation fuel produced by Praj Industries Ltd by using indigenous feedstock supplied by Indian Oil Corporation Ltd.

Union minister for petroleum and natural gas Hardeep Singh Puri recently said that a total of 14 crore litre of SAF would be required per annum to achieve 1% SAF blending in jet fuel.

“By 2025, if we target to blend 1% SAF blending in Jet fuel, India would require around 14 crore litre of SAF/annum. More ambitiously, if we target for 5% SAF blend, India required around 70 crore litre of SAF/ annum,“ he had said.

Updated: 01 Jun 2023, 11:15 PM IST