EIL Partners with CSIR-IIP to Establish 20 KLPD Bio-ATF Plant for MRPL

Engineers India Limited (EIL) is partnering with the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research – Indian Institute of Petroleum (CSIR-IIP) to set up the country’s first bio-aviation turbine fuel (bio-ATF) plant at the Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited (MRPL) facility. The upcoming 20-kilolitres-per-day (KLPD) bio-vegetable oil-based Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) plant marks a significant step towards cleaner alternatives in the aviation sector, EIL CMD Vartika Shukla said on Thursday.

The aviation industry is a growing contributor to the country's greenhouse gas emissions, reflecting the sector's rapid expansion. As of 2018, the Indian aviation sector emitted approximately 25 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalent, a 2.5-fold increase from 2005 levels, growing at a compound annual growth rate of 7.34%. The EIL plant assumes particular significance against this toxic backdrop.

Speaking at the EIL Board Media Interaction, Shukla said, “In the Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) segment, we are setting up the nation's first bio-ATF (aviation turbine fuel) plant at our MRPL facility. This will be a 20-kilolitre bio-vegetable oil-based SAF facility, developed in collaboration with our technology partner, CSIR-IIP.”

A bio-ATF plant produces aviation turbine fuel derived from renewable biological sources such as used cooking oil, agricultural and forestry residues, and municipal solid waste. It serves as a low-emission alternative to conventional jet fuels, which are derived from fossil sources and are a major contributor to carbon emissions.

EIL is also expanding its footprint in the biofuels sector. “Implementation of one of the largest-capacity biorefinery projects in India, for Assam Bio Refinery Private Limited (ABRPL), is nearing completion,” Shukla noted.

She further added that EIL is leading the preparation of a Pre-Feasibility Report (PFR) for a second-generation (2G) ethanol project using bamboo feedstock for Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL) in Meghalaya, as well as a Detailed Feasibility Report (DFR) for a 2G ethanol plant for NTPC.

Highlighting EIL’s initiatives in green energy, the CMD said, “EIL has been a frontrunner in implementing green hydrogen projects, both for its production through electrolysers and for assessing the feasibility of blending hydrogen in existing natural gas pipelines.”

She also noted that EIL had provided EPCM (Engineering, Procurement, Construction, and Management) services to GAIL for setting up the balance of plant and associated facilities for a 10 MW green hydrogen production unit in Vijaipur, Uttar Pradesh, which has already been commissioned.