Civilian variant of AN-32 transport aircraft

Awaits its commercial production - Will substantially reduce import bill

In two years, the Indian Air Force (IAF) will start flying a portion of its fleet on a blend of bio-fuel (10 per cent). Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited (MRPL) has set a target of starting the commercial production of bio-fuel by 2024.

Produced From Non-Edible Vegetable Oil

On Republic Day in 2019, a formation of An-32 military aircraft (in pic) from the IAF flew over Rajpath using a blend of bio-fuel

Bio-fuel planned to be produced in India will be sourced from non-edible vegetable oil, negating the “food vs fuel” debate

“The IAF has already validated the fuel and is waiting for its commercial production,” said Air Vice Marshal SK Jain

V Nandakumar, MRPL’s Group General Manager, made this announcement at a seminar on “Sustainable aviation bio-fuel” organised by the Aeronautical Society of India here today.

IAF officers, private airline operators and petroleum experts participated in the seminar.

Dr G Sateesh Reddy, scientific adviser to the Defence Minister, chaired the session on “Mapping the requirement in India”. On Republic Day in 2019, a formation of an An-32 military aircraft from the IAF flew over the Rajpath using a blend of bio-fuel.

The IAF already validated the fuel and was waiting for its commercial production, said Air Vice Marshal SK Jain while addressing the delegates at the seminar. “Now, the engine of a Dornier 228 plane is being tested,” he added.

The fuel has been tested and validated using the expertise of the Indian Institute of Petroleum (IIP), Dehradun; Defence Research and Development Organisation’s Centre for Military Airworthiness and Certification; and Directorate General of Aeronautical Quality Assurance.

The IAF’s plan was first illustrated in August 2018 “issue brief” of the IAF-backed think tank, the Centre for Air Power Studies (CAPS) by Wing Commander Asheesh Srivastava, a research fellow at the CAPS.

The IAF offered its aircraft and entire range of in-house testing facilities along with financial support to the project under its indigenisation (R&D) fund.

Bio-fuel planned to be produced in India will be sourced from non-edible vegetable oil, therefore, negating the “food versus fuel” debate.

The ultimate aim is to fly fighter aircraft with bio-jet fuel as the United States Air Force (USAF) did in 2010, the difference being that unlike the US, the fuel in India would be sourced from non-food produce.

India requires about 25 million tonne of aviation turbine fuel every day to ensure that all its civil and military aircraft remain airborne; using a blend of bio-fuel will reduce the country’s import bill.