NEW DELHI: India’s first biofuel-powered flight was successfully tested on Monday. The SpiceJet aircraft from Dehradun to Delhi had aviation regulator DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation) officials along with other industry stakeholders on board, to ascertain the feasibility of biofuel-powered flights.Before we get into the other details, the question on most people’s minds would be -- Does it fly any different? In other words is it any less powerful?Such a concern is natural, given that many people would draw parallels with how a CNG (Compressed Natural Gas)- powered vehicle does not quite feel or drive the same way a regular petrol or diesel powered one does.To understand if a biofuel flight is likely to feel any different from a regular jet fuel flight, TOI spoke with a senior pilot at an Indian airline. “Aircraft engines use certain grades of fuel, jet A1 fuel being the most common. This is essentially purified kerosene. With biofuel you can just about get anything -- diesel, petrol, or even jet fuel. As long as the grade is right there should be no power loss,” said the pilot who did not wish to be named, as he’s not authorised to speak with the media.On Sunday, SpiceJet had tested flying the biofuel-powered Bombardier Q400 (VT-SUI) for about 20 minutes in Dehradun skies, after which the company’s chief strategy officer G P Gupta had said, “The results have been very positive. According to preliminary studies, the power from biofuel was even better than regular aviation turbine fuel (ATF).”What is interesting is that back in 2013-14, SpiceJet’s rival, IndiGo, had flirted with the idea of using biofuel to power some of its fleet, before deciding to shelve the plan, according to a source who was involved in the process. This source said, “Back then it was considered by IndiGo as they thought biofuel could be a cheaper alternative if oil prices continued to rise. But at that time they figured it was cheaper and more convenient to import jet fuel from Singapore. And thus the biofuel plan fell through the cracks.”The biofuel used for Monday's SpiceJet flight has been developed by Dehradun-based Indian Institute of Petroleum using the jatropha crop. Jatropha is a toxic wild plant that has gained importance as a biodiesel crop. The flight was powered by a mix of 25 per cent of this biofuel and 75 per cent ATF. The advantage of using biofuel over ATF is that it reduces carbon emissions and enhances fuel efficiency, the airline said in a statement.Global oil prices have been on the boil for a while, thus spiking jet fuel prices, which in turn has put immense pressure on the input cost of airlines. On the environment front, the aviation industry contributes around two per cent of the total global greenhouse gas emissions, according to global airlines' body IATA (International Air Transport Association).Thus far, the USA and Australia have had biofuel-powered commercial flights.Read this story in Marathi<doc-sep>Union ministers at Delhi airport after the first biofuel flight Monday. (Photo: Renuka Puri) Union ministers at Delhi airport after the first biofuel flight Monday. (Photo: Renuka Puri) An estimated 20,000 aircraft currently ferry some 3 billion passengers around the world annually, and contribute about 2% of the world’s annual greenhouse gas emissions. In 20 years, more than 50,000 planes and many more passengers could be flying. The difficulty in apportioning responsibility for jet emissions among countries makes it among the more complex problems of the global climate change fight. Also, as jet fuel prices rise alongside those of crude oil, it makes sense for governments and airline companies to move towards alternative sources of fuel. Budget carrier SpiceJet Monday operated India’s first “technology demonstrator” flight on biojet fuel, which Ajay Singh, the airline chief, said could “reduce dependence on traditional aviation fuel by up to 50% on every flight and bring down fares”. The fuel Dehradun-based CSIR-Indian Institute of Petroleum (IIP) manufactured 330 kg of biofuel especially for Monday’s 40-odd-minute Dehradun-Delhi flight. The Bombardier Q400 turboprop aircraft with 28 people on board burnt a mix of 75% traditional aviation turbine fuel (ATF) and 25% oil extracted from the Jatropha plant, sourced from nearly 500 farmer families in Chhattisgarh. Biofuel blends for jet engines can also be prepared using biomass, animal fat, vegetable oil, agricultural waste, and natural gas. The bio-oil concentration can rise to 50%, beyond which, however, the combustibility of the fuel can be impacted. READ | SpiceJet flies India’s first biofuel flight, from Dehradun to Delhi Science and Technology Minister Harsh Vardhan said only “three to four nations are using biojet fuel”. In 2008, Virgin Atlantic flew a Boeing 747 between London and Amsterdam using fuel derived from a mixture of Brazilian babassu nuts and coconuts. In January this year, Australian flag carrier Qantas operated a 15-hour flight from Los Angeles to Melbourne using a blended fuel that was 10% derived from Brassica carinata, an industrial variety of mustard. The significance The International Air Transport Association (IATA) is committed to an average annual improvement of 1.5% in fuel efficiency from 2009 to 2020, a cap on net aviation carbon emissions from 2020 (carbon-neutral growth), and a reduction in net aviation carbon emissions of 50% by 2050, relative to 2005 levels. IATA has also set a target of 1 billion passengers flying on aircraft using a mix of clean energy and fossil fuels by 2025. It has noted that given the current immaturity of the supply chain of the aviation biofuel industry, these fuels have lower economies of scale and can cost almost two to three times higher than conventional ATF. So far, more than 5,000 commercial flights have been operated across the world using biofuels. The impact An international research programme led by NASA reported last year that the use of biofuels can reduce particle emissions in jet exhaust by as much as 50%-70%. But the equation is sometimes not simple: In a 2014 analysis of biofuels for the aviation industry, IATA had noted: “According to a lifecycle assessment by the Yale School of Forestry on the plant jatropha (a tropical drought-resistant, oil-rich flowering plant), just one source of potential biofuels, its use could either reduce greenhouse gas emission by up to 85%, or increase them by 60%, depending on the circumstances in which it is produced.” The future Commercial use of aviation biofuel is still some way away. The infrastructure to mass-produce biojet fuel, and to deliver it at airports, is awaited. The airport at Los Angeles is one of the few that have the relevant infrastructure to support biofuels. Fuel companies are still working out sustainable ways to manufacture biofuel for aircraft. The 2014 IATA analysis said that the production of the first generation of biofuels had shown that the displacement of other agricultural activity, if not monitored carefully, could become a significant long-term concern. Second generation fuels, it said, posed greater extraction challenges. The Indian government is working on ways to use biofuel in the aviation sector; Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari said Monday that a Cabinet note would be moved on a “special policy” in this regard.<doc-sep>SpiceJet will today fly India's first biofuel-powered flight from Dehradun to Delhi on its Turboprop Q400 plane. The fuel has been developed by Indian Institute of Petroleum, based in the capital of Uttarakhand. The low-cost carrier will use a blend of the aviation turbine fuel and biofuel to power the flight. "In a first-of- its-kind experiment in India, biofuels developed by Indian Institute of Petroleum - Dehradun, will power an aircraft. A huge step towards encouraging sustainable and alternative fuels for the transportation & aviation sector as envisaged in NationalBiofuelsPolicy,” Dharmendra Pradhan, minister for petroleum and natural gas tweeted this morning. The low-cost carrier has called for a press conference later in the day to announce the same. Spicejet promoter Ajay Singh, Pradhan along with colleagues, Cabinet minister for aviation Suresh Prabhu and Minister of State for Aviation Jayant Sinha will be present on the occasion. Safety regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation and oil marketer Indian Oil Corporation found the oil safe to be used as a jet fuel. Billionaire Richard Branson’s Virgin Atlantic was the first airline to have used biofuel to fly London-Amsterdam ten years ago. If the test is successful, India will be among the first developing nations to adopt the sustainable alternative jet fuel. Fuel is the biggest cost item for an airline, accounting for as much as one-third of the total cost of operations. While India has the fastest growing domestic aviation market in the world – more than 125 million passengers flew in 2017-18 at a growth rate of 18 percent – most of its airlines are either loss-making or struggling.<doc-sep>New Delhi: Budget carrier SpiceJet today successfully operated “India’s first ever biojet fuel flight". A Bombardier Q400 aircraft, partially using biojet fuel, took off from Dehradun and landed at the airport in the national capital. The SpiceJet flight was powered with a blend of 75% air turbine fuel (ATF) and 25% biojet fuel, it said. SpiceJet in a statement said the advantage of using biojet fuel as compared to ATF is that it reduces carbon emissions and enhances fuel efficiency. Made from Jatropha crop, the fuel has been developed by the CSIR-Indian Institute of Petroleum (IIP), Dehradun, SpiceJet said. Around 20 people, including officials from aviation regulator DGCA and SpiceJet, were in the test flight. The duration of the flight was around 25 minutes, according to an airline executive. SpiceJet Chairman and Managing Director Ajay Singh said biojet fuel is low cost and helps in significantly reducing carbon emissions. “It has the potential to reduce our dependence on traditional aviation fuel by up to 50% on every flight and bring down fares," he said. The biojet fuel has been recognised by American Standard Testing Method (ASTM) and meets the specification standards of Pratt & Whitney and Bombardier for commercial application in aircraft. The Q400 aircraft has 78 seats. According to global airlines’ body IATA, aviation industry contributes to 2% of the total global greenhouse gas emissions. IATA has also set out a target for one billion passengers to fly on aircraft using a mix of clean energy and fossil fuels by 2025, the release said. SpiceJet has a fleet of 36 Boeing 737NG and 22 Bombardier Q400 planes. On an average, it operates 412 flights daily. Today in the Indian aviation industry many executives are worried over the rising fuel costs and have demanded the government bring Aviation Turbine Fuel under GST. Vistara’s chief strategy and commercial officer Sanjiv Kapoor said in a tweet said that aviation in India is not for the “weak-kneed" while expressing concern over the domestic aviation fuel rates. “Domestic aviation fuel (ATF) rates ex-DEL are now 97% higher (ie almost double) the low it hit in Feb 2016, and less than 10% short of highest ever it hit in 2014. Average fares are however down at least 40% from 2014! Aviation in India not an industry for the weak-kneed," he said. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Never miss a story! Stay connected and informed with Mint. Download our App Now! ! Topics<doc-sep>
India’s 1st Biofuel Flight Tested By SpiceJet: Can It Change Aviation Industry? A big news is coming in from the Aviation Industry: India’s first biofuel-powered slight has been successfully tested by SpiceJet. What exactly is biofuel, and what difference does this make? Keep reading to find more! India’s 1st Biofuel Flight Tested! Today morning, Spicejet flew a 72-seater SpiceJet Bombardier Q400 turboprop aircraft from Dehradun to Delhi, which was powered with partial biofuel and partial aviation turbine fuel. This 25-minute flight was officially India’s first biofuel-powered flight. Besides journalists, this flight had DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation) officials and aviation experts to find out the efficiency. Spicejet’s chief strategy officer G P Gupta said, “The results have been very positive. According to preliminary studies, the power from biofuel was even better than regular aviation turbine fuel.” What Is Biofuel? The biofuel which was used for the test flight has been prepared by Indian Institute of Petroleum and was made from jatropha crop. While 25% of the file was bio, rest was aviation turbine fuel. Besides jatropha crop, biofuel can be also made from agricultural residues, non-edible oils and bio-degradable fractions of industrial and municipal wastes. Advantages Of Biofuel? With biofuel such as jatropha crop, carbon emissions are reduced, and overall fuel efficiency is improved. Aviation fuel which is currently used: jet A1 fuel, being the most common is an expensive commodity. This is mainly a super-refined form of kerosene. On the other hand, biofuel is flexible and can be used with petrol, diesel, and even jet fuel, as evident in today’s testing. As per SpiceJet Chairman and Managing Director Ajay Singh, dependency on traditional aviation fuel will decrease by 50%. And it is estimated that if all airlines start using biofuel, then the cost of tickets can also come down. Besides, the efficiency of the engine also improves. The biofuel used in today’s test flight was made from the oil extracted from jatropha crop, and 500 families from Chhattisgarh were involved in the production of this partially-refined biofuel. Indigo’s Attempt At Biofuel In 2013-14, Indigo attempted to use and test biofuel for their flights. However, they found that if they import aviation fuel from Singapore, then it will be cheaper compared to biofuel, and the idea was dropped. As of now, some airlines in the USA and Australia use biofuel mixture with jet fuel, and if India starts using the biofuel commercially, then it will become the 3rd nation to do so. However more tests are required to check the feasibility of such flights. We will keep you updated, as receive more updates.