India could become ‘leading hub of SAF’ by decade end: IATA study

A new study by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and Worley Consulting has outlined that India has potential to emerge as a “leading hub” for Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) production in South Asia. The report highlights that India could harness up to 100 million tonnes of SAF biomass feedstock by 2030, offering a major opportunity for decarbonising the aviation sector.

SAF is regarded as a cornerstone of aviation’s global net-zero strategy. While demand is expected to surge to nearly 500 million tonnes (MT) by 2050, production is projected at only 2 MT in 2024, creating a significant supply gap. The study estimates global SAF output could touch 400 MT by mid-century, still leaving a shortfall of about 100 MT.

IATA, which represents nearly 350 airlines accounting for 80% of global traffic, stressed that India’s experience in ethanol blending and proactive policy support could make it a central player in SAF production. The report mentioned that India has diverse feedstock options, including sugar- and starch-based ethanol, waste oils like used cooking oil (UCO) and tallow, agricultural residues, forestry waste, and municipal solid waste (MSW). Together, these could supply 100 MT of biomass feedstock by 2030 and 150 MT by 2050, with further growth possible through non-food energy crops.

Agricultural residues are expected to dominate, forming 71% of available feedstock in 2030, followed by forestry residues (16%) and MSW (7%). By 2050, India’s SAF feedstock availability could rise more than 45% to 154 MT, aided by improved crop yields, higher MSW generation, and ethanol industry expansion.

As the world’s third-largest ethanol producer, India is already diversifying feedstocks to include sugarcane juice, corn, and cassava. This could potentially double ethanol production by 2030, supporting both conventional and cellulosic ethanol pathways for SAF.

Globally, biomass feedstock may exceed 12,000 MT by 2050, though competing uses will limit SAF allocation to about 1,580 MT—enough to support just over 300 MT of bio-SAF. Current commercial production mainly uses HEFA (Hydroprocessed Esters and Fatty Acids) technology, converting UCO into SAF.

The report identifies North America, Brazil, Europe, India, China, and ASEAN as key regions to drive global SAF growth. IATA Director General Willie Walsh underscored that scaling SAF will depend heavily on policy action and energy sector leadership.