India can become sustainable fuel hub by using agri waste: Honeywell

Agricultural waste in India can be used for generating sustainable aviation fuel and make the country a hydrogen hub, a senior official of Honeywell India said on Wednesday.

Honeywell India VP and General Manager for UOP and HPS Ashish Gaikwad said the technology is now available in the country that can benefit farmers by procuring agricultural waste from them, which they burn on the field that creates pollution.

"It is my personal belief, India has the opportunity to become an energy hub for hydrogen. It can also become a hydrogen hub for SAF (sustainable aviation fuel). India is a large agricultural economy. It can produce a lot of agricultural waste that can become feedstock for producing SAF. Then not only we will produce SAF for our own domestic consumption but we will be able to export it," Gaikwad said.

He said that Honeywell is a big proponent of India becoming a hub for SAF.

India has committed to net zero carbon emissions by 2070.

"Agricultural waste can be utilised for a much better purpose of creating our own fuel. There is a big need for our farmers to become integrated with our economic growth. This provides an avenue for our farmers to give the agricultural waste, which does not fetch them any money, to be a raw material for producing feedstock for SAF. It will reduce import bills for India," Gaikwad said.

According to Honeywell's whitepaper, the major sources of greenhouse gas in India are the power, industry, agriculture, and transport sectors.

Presently, the energy demand of the economy is met mostly by carbon-intensive fossil fuels like coal and oil.

By 2070 India is expected to grow into a USD 22 trillion economy. This growth will trigger a 2-4 times demand in key industrial sectors like power, steel, cement, automotive and agriculture. As a result, the total GHG emissions are expected to reach 12 gigatons of carbon-di-oxide equivalent by 2070.

"To be net zero by 2070, India has to start now," Gaikwad said.

India is looking to achieve 1 per cent SAF blending in all commercial flights by 2025.

According to official estimates, 1 per cent of SAF blending will benefit more than 5 lakh farmers by supplying sugarcane as feedstock for the fuel.

Gaikwad said that Honeywell has started discussions with oil marketing companies in India for SAF, but all the discussions are at an initial stage.

"India is on the right path for SAF. We are asking for a bit more pace in the journey," he said.