GPS Renewables, a global full-stack renewable oil & gas company focused on climate-positive biofuel projects, has partnered with the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research – National Chemical Laboratory (CSIR-NCL) to launch NG SAF, India’s first indigenous Ethanol-to-Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) technology at a commercial scale. This process can also be adapted to convert methanol into SAF.
Under this arrangement, GPS Renewables will commercialize the patented CSIR-NCL oligomerization catalyst technology to allow transformation of ethylene and other olefins into aviation grade hydrocarbons in a single step. Although different organizations have proved the transfer of Ethanol to Jet Fuel at lab level, commercialization of the process has remained a worldwide challenge- something NG SAF strives to achieve.
GPS Renewables has acquired exclusive rights to the technology of CSIR-NCL and will be tasked with the mission of establishing the first commercial-scale Ethanol-to-Jet plant, which is one of the milestones in the decarbonisation of the Indian aviation industry.
Presently, the majority of the SAF production worldwide relies on the HEFA (Hydro processed Esters and Fatty Acids) process, with feedstocks, such as Used Cooking Oil (UCO) and animal fats. In India, however, the scale of production of HEFA is restricted by a dearth of an organized system to collect UCO as well as the restrictions on imports. NG SAF provides a sustainable and scalable option, which uses 2G biomass-based ethanol, which is particularly appropriate to the Indian setting.
Gomatam Ravi, CTO, GPS Renewables, stated, “We are thrilled to partner with CSIR-NCL to build an indigenous SAF technology that can position India as a leader in aviation decarbonization. While many have demonstrated the process at lab scale, none have succeeded in industrial-scale Ethanol-to-SAF production. With NG SAF, we aim to change that.”
Dr. Ashish Lele, Director, CSIR-NCL, added, “Scientific research, when coupled with industry collaboration, can deliver transformative solutions. This indigenous NG SAF technology, built on CSIR-NCL’s patented oligomerization process, has the potential to be a game-changer for the aviation sector.”
Highlighting the strength of the team behind the initiative, Mainak Chakraborty, Co-Founder & CEO of GPS Renewables, said:
“The advisory panel for NG SAF includes world-class experts such as Dr. Anjan Ray (Former Director, UOP & IIP), Dr. Arvind Lali (ICT Mumbai), Dr. Ashish Lele (CSIR-NCL), Dr. Samir Chikkali (NCL), and our in-house engineering team with decades of global experience across Petrofac, Petronas, Technip, Toyo, McDermott, and L&T. Together, we are building an indigenous solution that can redefine India’s clean aviation future.”
With the launch of NG SAF, India makes a major leap toward producing sustainable, scalable aviation fuel using local resources—aligning with its net-zero ambitions and reducing reliance on imported fossil fuels.
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