Decks cleared for first bio-fuel aircraft flight on R-Day

After months of ground and flight trials, a premier military certification agency has cleared the indigenously produced bio-fuel for use in the military aircraft, the Defence Ministry said on Thursday.

The approval has paved the way for the Air Force to fly the maiden An-32 aircraft with a blend of bio-jet fuel on the Republic Day.

The decision was arrived in a meeting chaired by eminent scientists and Chief Executive of the Centre for Military Airworthiness and Certification (CEMILAC), Jaypal, after deliberations on the results of various checks and tests conducted on bio-jet fuel as per procedure recommended by top national and international certification agencies, it said.

The IAF has earlier said that reducing country's dependence on crude oil will be showcased by the formation of An-32 aircraft flying in 'vic' formation.

The lead aircraft of the formation, piloted by Squadron Leader Mehtab Sond of the Aircraft Systems Testing Establishment, will fly on Aviation Turbine Fuel blended with 10 per cent bio-fuel.

The bio-jet fuel is produced from seeds of Jatropha plant sourced from Chhattisgarh and processed at the Centre of Scientific and Industrial Researach - Indian Institute of Petroleum (CSIR-IIP) lab at Dehradun.

"This clearance is a major step for continued testing and eventual full certification of the bio-jet fuel for use on a commercial scale by civil aircraft as well," it said.

In a related development, the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) in collaboration with IAF on Thursday came out with a new standard for Aviation Turbine Fuel. These specifications will align Indian standards with current international standards.

After a series of deliberations over the past nine months, an IS 17081:2019 Aviation Turbine Fuel (Kerosene Type, Jet A-1) containing synthesised hydrocarbons has been formulated.

This standard would enable the oil companies to manufacture bio-jet fuel for the Indian aviation industry.

--IANS

mak/nir