GPS Renewables, CSIR-NCL to launch India’s ethanol-to-SAF technology

Biogas major GPS Renewables and Council of Scientific and Industrial Research – National Chemical Laboratory (CSIR-NCL) have come together to develop India’s first commercial-scale production of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) from ethanol. The same technology can also be extended to methanol-based SAF production.

Under this collaboration, GPS Renewables will invest in scaling up technology developed by CSIR-NCL, which is built around a patented catalyst. The innovation enables one-step oligomerization of ethylene and other olefins – a process that links smaller molecules to form larger ones resembling Aviation Turbine Fuel. While several entities worldwide have demonstrated the Ethanol-to-Jet process at the laboratory level, a full-fledged commercial-scale plant has yet to be realized.

Through an exclusive license to the CSIR-NCL technology, GPS Renewables will establish a commercial-scale facility under the project brand NG SAF, marking a significant step toward demonstrating the country’s first ethanol-to-jet fuel plant. GPS also holds exclusive commercialization rights to the technology.

Ethanol produced from second-generation (2G) biomass is expected to play a central role in India’s agri-biomass economy. Leveraging this ethanol as a feedstock for the CSIR-NCL–GPS Renewables project could provide a sustainable, home-grown pathway to ramp up SAF production and reduce reliance on fossil-based aviation fuels.

Gomatam Ravi, CTO, GPS Renewables, said, “While many have demonstrated the process at lab scale, none have succeeded in producing SAF from Ethanol at an industrial scale. With NG SAF, we aim to change that. We are confident that with our expertise in scaling cleantech solutions and CSIR-NCL’s scientific backing, we can deliver an indigenous and industrially viable SAF solution to the world.”

Dr. Ashish Lele, Director, CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, added, “Scientific research, when coupled with industry collaboration, can create promising solutions to address global challenges. This indigenous technology, named NG SAF, based on CSIR-NCL’s patented oligomerization process, can be a game-changer to decarbonise the aviation sector. GPS Renewables’ proven track record and extensive experience in clean fuels make them an ideal partner to take this innovation from the lab to the market.”

Mainak Chakraborty, Co-Founder and CEO, GPS Renewables, stated, “GPSR has an engineering team of 120 people, adding up decades of experience from the likes of Petrofac, Petronas, Technip, Toyo, McDermott, Lauren USA, L&T and other industry leaders, all of whom have come together to make NG SAF a reality.”