Indian biofuels technology company GPS Renewables has partnered with SAF One, a new Dubai-based producer of sustainable aviation fuels, to develop SAF in India, the world’s third-largest aviation market, and one of the fastest-growing. Through their new collaboration, SAF One and ARYA, the Indian company’s project platform, will jointly develop a new SAF plant in India capable of producing 20-30 million litres of low-carbon fuel per year by converting lignocellulosic waste feedstock, or low-value agricultural by-products. Bengaluru-based GPS Renewables already uses non-basmati paddy straw to produce compressed biogas. The burning of waste paddy straw is a major contributor to air pollution in parts of India, and the government is encouraging its reuse as an industrial fuel. News of the new SAF plant coincides with enormous expansion by India’s two largest airline companies, IndiGo, which has firm orders for more than 1,000 new jets, and Air India Group, which has orders for 470.

India has committed to a target of net zero carbon emissions by 2070, 20 years beyond the widely agreed global target of 2050. However, the government has flagged mandating SAF usage from 2027 as part of a broader campaign to begin transitioning the industry to lower emissions processes.

“As India moves towards mandating 1-5% blended usage of SAF starting in 2027, we need more collaborative efforts to address the challenges associated with the production of SAF,” said Mainak Chakraborty, CEO of and co-founder of GPS Renewables, which offers technology and end-to-end solutions for biofuel projects. “We are committed to eliminating these bottlenecks and facilitating India’s seamless transition towards clean energy. The collaboration with SAF One is a step in that direction. We look forward to a fruitful partnership to accelerate the production of sustainable aviation fuels and help India become a leader in SAF.”   

GPSR is already a significant player in biofuels and energy projects in India, including compressed biogas (CBG), renewable natural gas (RNG), 2G ethanol and green hydrogen, and has established more than 100 biogas plants, including Asia’s largest RNG plant, located in Indore, which uses municipal solid waste as a feedstock.

SAF One was established one year ago, in May 2023, as a partnership between aircraft lessor Novus Aviation Capital and Sencirc Holding, an investment business based in the UAE capital, Abu Dhabi, and focused on assets in the circular economy. It is part of the Abu Dhabi Global Market, a collective which includes sustainable capital raising and finance, and includes investments in renewable fuels and feedstocks from recycled waste – a core activity of SAF One’s new partner in India.

“The Indian aviation sector is poised for significant growth, and SAF One recognises the critical need for clean energy solutions,” said the company’s co-founder and director Deepak Munganahalli, commenting on the new partnership. “We are excited to be working with GPS Renewables to advance sustainable aviation fuel projects in India and accelerate its adoption of clean fuels.

“This collaboration adds to SAF One’s growing pipeline of projects globally and is a cornerstone of our strategy to support and transform the aviation sector. GPSR’s extensive experience in green energy projects in India and SAF One’s expertise in the development of sustainable aviation fuels while capitalising on its principals’ track record in aviation and circular economy makes for an ideal partnership.”

Late last year, SAF One signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Vietnamese low-cost airline Vietjet to collaborate on production, supply and use of technology-agnostic SAF in Vietnam, another fast-growing air transport market. Then in February this year, SAF One appointed global engineering group Kent to undertake a technology licensing review for the fuel company’s first synthetic paraffinic kerosene production plant.

India is one of the world’s fastest-growing air transport markets, looking to develop major international transit hubs to compete with those of neighbouring Middle East nations.

The country’s largest airline, low-cost carrier IndiGo, is ranked by aviation data group OAG as the industry’s eighth-busiest operator based flight frequencies. It operates more than 350 aircraft, mostly narrowbody Airbus A320-family jets, but has firm orders for more than 1,000 more for growth and fleet renewal, and recently announced firm orders for 30 wide-boded, long-haul Airbus A350s, and options for up to 70 more.

Its rival, the nation’s second-biggest airline company, Air India Group, is also on a steep growth trajectory, with firm orders for 470 new narrowbody and widebody jets, and options which take it to over 600 for its family of full service and low-cost airlines, including Air India, Air India Express and Vistara.

Photo: Kempegowda International Airport Bengaluru

Tony Harrington

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Vietnamese low-cost carrier Vietjet Air has partnered with Dubai-based SAF One, a sustainable aviation fuel production start-up, to collaborate on the development of SAF in Vietnam. In the presence of Vietnam’s Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed during COP28 in Dubai, to facilitate collaboration between the airline and SAF One to develop, supply and deploy SAF in the south-east Asian nation. SAF One was jointly established in May this year by aircraft lessor Novus Aviation Capital and Abu Dhabi-based Sencirc Holding, an investment company focused on assets in the circular economy. The Vietjet SAF partnership coincided with the appointment of former Fulcrum BioEnergy and Cathay Pacific Group executive Jeff Ovens as Chief Operating Officer of SAF One, effective from January 2024, and a growing general focus on SAF procurement and supply across the Asia-Pacific region.

Based on airline seats scheduled for December 2023, aviation data group OAG ranks Vietnam as the third biggest market in South-East Asia after Indonesia and Thailand. It also ranks the Hanoi – Ho Ch Minh City route as the busiest domestic sector in South-East Asia, with Ho Chi Minh the sixth busiest airport based on total seats scheduled and Hanoi ranked seventh.

While details of the Vietnam SAF plans were not disclosed, SAF One is aiming to become a global supplier of the alternative fuels. “Our collaboration with Vietjet through SAF One to develop, deliver and supply technology agnostic SAF solutions in Vietnam is a testament to our dedication to provide global solutions to the industry,” said Hani Kuzbari, Director at SAF One and co-CEO of Novus Aviation Capital, of which Vietjet is a customer. Parallel with the SAF collaboration, UAE-based Novus also committed to explore with the airline the co-establishment of an aircraft financing and leasing business.

Hanoi-based Vietjet operates more than 200 narrowbody and widebody Airbus aircraft on over 150 routes across the Asia-Pacific region, with another 15 Airbus and Boeing jets to be funded and delivered from next year through the Novus partnership. “The use of sustainable aviation fuel is a crucial step in the sustainable development of the aviation industry,” said the airline’s CEO Dinh Viet Phuong, “and Vietjet is proud to be at the forefront of airlines being committed to contributing to this collective effort.”

Sencirc Holding Limited, which has partnered with Novus Aviation Capital  in SAF One, is part of the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), which includes sustainable capital raising and finance. Sencirc’s activities include investments in renewable fuels and feedstocks from repurposed waste. 

Launching SAF One earlier this year, Sencirc’s founder, Deepak Munganahalli, said: “As a company focused on the circular economy, we recognise the importance of supporting sustainable practices across all industries. The aviation industry is pushing to reduce its carbon footprint and SAF One has been positioned to drive change in this area.” SAF One has ambitions to be “a global leading platform that delivers SAF solutions to the aviation industry,” he said.

Sencirc said energy security and energy transition would both be essential considerations “as we reduce the reliance on oil and gas.”

To meet the aviation industry target of 10% SAF usage by 2030, continued Sencirc, SAF production would need to accelerate to 10 billion gallons (37.8 billion litres) per year, more than 60 times IATA’s estimate of 158.5 million gallons (600 million litres) of SAF produced this year.

Coinciding with its initiatives in Vietnam, SAF One has announced the appointment of renewable jet fuels expert Jeff Ovens as Chief Operating Officer, commencing in January 2024. He was previously Managing Director UK, Europe and Middle East for waste-to-jet fuel company Fulcrum BioEnergy for almost seven years, and prior to that spent nearly 12 years, including five years as Head of Renewable Jet Fuel, at the Cathay Pacific Group, which he joined from engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce.

“Jeff’s appointment marks a significant milestone in our journey towards a sustainable aviation future,” said Mounir Kuzbari, Co-Founder and Director of SAF One. “His impressive background and expertise will help us accelerate our growth with the objective of delivering pathway-agnostic SAF to the aviation industry.”

Added Ovens: “Sustainable aviation fuel is now widely accepted as a leading solution for the significant reduction of net CO2 emissions from aviation, particularly long haul. I am excited to be part of the company’s journey in becoming a global leader in the production of SAF through investment, development and partnership formations at strategic locations around the world.”

Photo (Airbus): Vietjet A321neo

Tony Harrington

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