Industry body SAF Association (SAFA) on Sunday called for the use of Used Cooking Oil (UCO) for the production of Sustainable Aviation Fuel.
SAFA, a leading industry platform dedicated to accelerating the production and deployment of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), emphasised the need to develop all technology pathways and feedstock routes to decarbonise aviation, a sector responsible for approximately 2-3 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, according to a statement.
SAFA has made a recommendation to the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas on Used Cooking (UCO) to be used for SAF Production and get EPR (Extended Producer Responsibility) benefits, the statement said.
SAFA also recommended that stronger collection systems be implemented across restaurants, hotels, catering services, and food processing industries, and India could significantly increase UCO recovery.
Collecting only 15 per cent of commercial UCO could enable the production of approximately 1.36 million tonnes of SAF annually, significantly surpassing the estimated SAF demand of around 0.8 million metric tonnes (MMT) required for India’s 5 per cent blending target by 2030, it pointed out.
This would be more than sufficient to meet India’s expected SAF demand through UCO-based feedstock alone, it stated.
SAFA also recommended that the government fast-track the SAF mandate.
India is expected to introduce a SAF blending mandate, with global and domestic SAF mandates approaching, the Association highlighted the need for immediate, scalable solutions.
India is expected to introduce a SAF blending roadmap of 1 per cent by 2027, 2 per cent by 2028, and 5 per cent by 2030, aligning with international aviation decarbonisation commitments.
SAF can be produced through multiple pathways, including agricultural residues, municipal solid waste, algae, power-to-liquid fuels, and waste lipids.
The Association believes that technology integration, innovation, and investment across diverse feedstocks will be critical to building a globally competitive SAF ecosystem in India.
Among the available pathways, UCO, emerging from India’s kitchens, offers one of the fastest deployable feedstocks.
India consumes nearly 29 million tonnes of edible oil annually (FY 2022-23, NITI Aayog). Approximately 40 per cent of this consumption occurs in commercial kitchens, while 60 per cent is used in households.
According to estimates based on the FSSAI RUCO framework, India currently collects only about 6 per cent of available UCO, leaving nearly 94 per cent untapped.
India also has immense long-term potential to become a major global SAF producer.
By 2050, India could emerge as a regional SAF hub producing up to 40 million tonnes annually, generating USD 40-50 billion in annual economic value and contributing up to 5 per cent of global SAF demand.
According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), global SAF production could reach around 400 million tonnes by 2050, while the global SAF market could grow to USD 402 billion by 2050, according to Transparency Market Research.
“The same oil that cooks India’s meals can power India’s flights,” said Rohit Kumar, Secretary General, SAFA, in the statement.
SAFA is a not-for-profit, industry-led organization based in New Delhi dedicated to accelerating Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) and supporting aviation decarbonisation.
