India has potential to produce sustainable aviation fuel, says IATA executive

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India is among the countries that has the largest potential to produce Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), which will be a key enabler for the global airlines industry in reducing emissions, according to an IATA executive.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) is a grouping of international airlines.

Sebastian Mikosz, Senior Vice President for Environment & Sustainability at IATA, on Tuesday also suggested extending incentives for entities to enter the market for production of SAF.

At a media roundtable here, Mikosz said that India is one of the countries which has the largest potential in producing SAF.

Airlines will buy SAF, which is expected to account for around 65 per cent of decarbonisation and will be a key enabler in reducing emissions, he added.

For production of SAF, there should be access to feedstock like biomass, he said and added that environmental problem has to be tackled at the global level.

Earlier in the day, Civil Aviation Secretary Rajiv Bansal said the government is working on mandating blending of jet fuel with sustainable aviation fuel as the country works on ways to reduce emissions.

"We are committed to reducing emissions by fossil fuels... the (civil aviation) ministry is working closely with the ministry of petroleum and natural gas on the issues related to SAF," he said.

Elaborating on SAF, he said there are two important things -- the feed stock and production.

"Do we have as a country adequate feedstock for producing SAF? Are there technologies in place, proven, time-tested which will be able to produce SAF in quantities? And if I may say at a price the airlines can afford," Bansal said.