Visakhapatnam: The National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) Limited has awarded the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contract to GPS Renewables for the development of India's first ethanol-to-jet sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) plant. This landmark project will be situated at NTPC Green Energy Limited's green hydrogen hub in Pudimadaka, near Visakhapatnam.
Project Details and Capacity
The plant is designed to produce 1,800 tonnes per annum of SAF using ethanol derived from carbon dioxide. The production process involves a sophisticated chain of steps, including ethanol-to-ethylene conversion, olefin oligomerisation, and hydroprocessing. This process will yield both SAF and renewable diesel, contributing to cleaner aviation fuel alternatives.
Technology and Partners
GPS Renewables will execute the project in collaboration with its technology and engineering partners. Lummus Technology will provide the ethanol-to-jet (ETJ) technology license and basic engineering for the process. Xytel India will handle detailed engineering for the core process package. The scope of GPS Renewables extends through March 2029, covering full project construction, commissioning, and one year of operation post-commissioning.
Industry Perspectives
Mainak Chakraborty, co-founder and CEO of GPS Renewables, emphasized the significance of SAF in reducing emissions in the aviation sector. He stated, "SAF stands out as the most promising option for reducing emissions in a hard-to-abate sector like aviation. However, viable commercial-scale production of SAF is still limited. We aim to bring a proven pathway to produce SAF from ethanol and enable the large-scale production of SAF in India."
Romain Lemoine, chief business officer of Lummus Technology, remarked that the project marks a major milestone in bringing ethanol-to-jet technology from concept to commercial reality. He added, "By leveraging our integrated solution, GPS will deliver a scalable SAF configuration with reduced capital and operating costs and lower carbon intensity. India's strong ethanol ecosystem provides an ideal launch environment and supports future global deployment."
Additional Information
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