Manufacturing of sustainable aviation fuel to need prior green clearance: Environment ministry
Manufacturing of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) will be treated like other products of the petroleum refining industry and be eligible for prior environmental clearance, the Union environment ministry has said
New Delhi: Manufacturing of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) will be treated like other products of the petroleum refining industry and be eligible for prior environmental clearance, the Union environment ministry has said.
“The EIA Notification, 2006 mandates prior Environmental Clearance (EC) for the projects/activities covered in the schedule of the Notification. The Ministry has been receiving project proposals for manufacturing of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) from biogenic feedstock, for the grant of prior EC,” said the ministry’s office memorandum dated December 11 has said.
“As the production of SAF from biogenic feedstock involves processes similar to those listed under item 4(a) [Petroleum Refining Industry] of the EIA Notification, 2006, the sectoral EAC has been granting Term of Reference to such projects under item 4(a) of the schedule of the EIA Notification 2006 on a case to case basis. In this context, in order to bring clarity, the Ministry hereby clarifies that the production of SAF involves processes such as isomerization and cracking, which are analogous to those employed in the petroleum refining industry. Accordingly, the activity shall be considered under item 4(a) [Petroleum Refining Industry] of the EIA Notification, 2006, for grant of EC,” the ministry has said.
According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) could contribute around 65% of the reduction in emissions needed by aviation to reach net zero CO2 emissions by 2050. This will require a massive increase in production in order to meet demand.
SAF is a liquid fuel currently used in commercial aviation which reduces CO2 emissions by up to 80%. It can be produced from a number of sources (feedstock) including waste oil and fats, municipal waste, and non-food crops. It can also be produced synthetically via a process that captures carbon directly from the air. It is “sustainable” because the raw feedstock does not compete with food crops or water supplies, and is not responsible for forest degradation. Whereas fossil fuels add to the overall level of CO2 by emitting carbon that had been previously locked away, SAF recycles the CO2 which has been absorbed by the biomass used in the feedstock during the course of its life.
