Deploying Sustainable Aviation Fuels at Scale in India: A Clean Skies for Tomorrow Publication

The report outlines a strategic roadmap for India to establish a domestic sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) industry, targeting 360,000 metric tons of SAF by 2030. It identifies four primary production pathways—HEFA, Alcohol-to-Jet (AtJ), Gasification/Fischer-Tropsch (GAS-FT), and Power-to-Liquid (PtL)—and assesses the availability of feedstocks such as used cooking oil, agricultural residues, and municipal solid waste. The analysis suggests that while SAF is currently 200–500% more expensive than fossil jet fuel, the industry could generate approximately $2.8 billion in annual GDP impact and create over 120,000 green jobs. The document proposes three funding scenarios to bridge a $335 million cost gap: government funding, customer funding, or a shared model, and recommends policy interventions such as blending mandates and Viability Gap Funding (VGF).

• The Clean Skies for Tomorrow (CST) community has established a target to transport 100 million domestic passengers in India on a 10% SAF blend by 2030, which requires approximately 360,000 metric tons of SAF.
• India possesses significant feedstock potential, with roughly 166 million tons of various feedstocks available annually, which could theoretically yield more than 22 million tons of SAF per year.
• Four primary ASTM-approved production pathways are identified as most feasible for India: Hydro-processed esters and fatty acids (HEFA) from used cooking oil; Alcohol-to-jet (AtJ) from agricultural residues and sugar streams; Gasification/Fischer-Tropsch (GAS-FT) from municipal solid waste and agricultural residues; and Power-to-liquid (PtL) using green hydrogen and captured CO2.
• Scaling the SAF industry to meet the 2030 target is estimated to generate approximately $2.8 billion in annual macroeconomic benefits to India's GDP and create more than 120,000 new green jobs across the supply chain.
• SAF is currently 200–500% more expensive than fossil jet fuel in India. Bridging the cost gap to produce 360,000 tons of SAF by 2030 would require more than $335 million.
• The use of agricultural residues as feedstock could provide an additional income of approximately $160 per hectare for farmers, representing a potential income increase of 15%.
• The report identifies three scenarios to close the SAF cost gap: Scenario A (full government funding via tax breaks or VGF), Scenario B (budget-neutral government option where passengers pay an estimated additional $1.80 per average domestic flight), and Scenario C (a 50-50 cost-sharing model between government and consumers).
• The report suggests that the Indian government could leverage the National Policy on Biofuels 2018 to incorporate a 10% SAF blending target by 2030 and provide financial incentives such as Viability Gap Funding (VGF).

APA

World Economic Forum (2021). Deploying Sustainable Aviation Fuels at Scale in India: A Clean Skies for Tomorrow Publication. http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Clean_Skies_for_Tomorrow_India_Report_2021.pdf

Chicago

World Economic Forum. Deploying Sustainable Aviation Fuels at Scale in India: A Clean Skies for Tomorrow Publication. 2021. http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Clean_Skies_for_Tomorrow_India_Report_2021.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Economic Forum |title=Deploying Sustainable Aviation Fuels at Scale in India: A Clean Skies for Tomorrow Publication |date=June 2021 |url=http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Clean_Skies_for_Tomorrow_India_Report_2021.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldeconomicforum2021deploying, author = {{World Economic Forum}}, title = {{Deploying Sustainable Aviation Fuels at Scale in India: A Clean Skies for Tomorrow Publication}}, institution = {World Economic Forum}, year = {2021}, month = jun, url = {http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Clean_Skies_for_Tomorrow_India_Report_2021.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }