Boeing says India is key nation for its sustainable aerospace programme

PTI, Dec 11, 2022, 7:10 PM IST

Brian Moran/Image Courtesy: Twitter

New Delhi: American plane maker Boeing on Sunday said India is a priority country for its ambitious programme to decarbonise aerospace globally from both the civilian and military aircraft and to chart a path toward a sustainable future.

Brian, Boeing’s Vice President for Global Sustainability Policy and Partnerships, said the company is confident of delivering commercial airplanes capable of flying on 100 percent Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) by 2030.

“India is hugely important to Boeing and to our aviation business, but also to our sustainability journey. I think some of the commitments and potential that we see here in India to become self-reliant through the scaling of sustainable aviation fuel is really promising,” he told PTI.

In a significant global announcement, Boeing said last year that its commercial airplanes will be capable and certified to fly on 100 percent sustainable aviation fuels by 2030.

There has been growing deliberations globally on curbing carbon emissions from flying. At a recent meeting in Montreal, the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), vowed to support a net-zero aviation goal by 2050.

Boeing has been a major partner of India’s aerospace sector for almost eight decades, both as the mainstay of the country’s commercial aviation sector as well as for the armed forces.

Without divulging specific details, Moran indicated the use of biofuel will be a major focus of Boeing for its military aircraft in India as well.

The three services are presently operating several Boeing platforms including C-17 transport aircraft, AH-64 Apache helicopters and Chinook choppers.

“The good news is that more than a decade ago, we flew the F/A-18 Hornet on sustainable aviation fuel. It was affectionately called the Green Hornet back then. So, we have already flown the F/A-18, but some of our other products, the C-17, which is an inventory here in India, also the Apache right on SAF,” he said.

“We see great potential and are mindful that the Indian Air Force is already trialing SAF produced here in India as part of the energy mix. I think if you think back to the objective of self-reliance and producing your own fuel here, the military has an important role to play,” he said.

Moran also noted that it will be an advantage for the Indian armed forces to go for Boeing’s platforms as it is majorly focusing on futuristic planes.

“I think a partnership with Boeing to be that on sustainable aerospace, supply chain or on the products themselves is why we recommend to our partners to go with Boeing,” he said.

“This is not just about whether one platform can fly on SAF or not, but our knowledge on sustainable aviation fuels that dates to the very first flight on SAF in 2008 on a 747 and all the way flying on our different products, military and commercial, on different blends, on different pathways, and partnerships around the world with SAF producers,” Moran said.

The senior Boeing executive also said the company is confident of rolling out all its commercial aircraft from 2030 which will be capable of flying on 100 percent SAF.

“The reason we have confidence in that is that in 2018, we already flew the first flight ever on 100 percent SAF. That happened to be on a 777 freighter back then. Since then, we have partnered with our engine companies and have done the first passenger flight on 100 percent SAF with United Airlines,” he said.

At the same time, Moran described the use of 100 percent SAF as a challenge as well.

“It is an interesting challenge because, by 2030, you will not have 100 percent SAF available at every airport you fly to. You will see a different blend ratio. You might fly to one city, and you get a full tank of 100 percent, and then you land somewhere where there’s none available. So now suddenly you have the mix. The fuel mix will always be different,” he said.

Asked about possible advantages of using military platforms that operate on bio-fuel in the context of current geopolitical turmoil and concerns over energy security, he said it will be an important dimension to use clean energy by military platforms.

“I think energy security has always been, but maybe now more than ever is an important topic. Having a self-reliance on your energy supply and your fuel supply is a feature in that. That’s again, we’ve talked about it throughout. That’s why I think domestic SAF production is important,” he said.

A report by the World Economic Forum said India’s total expected domestic need for jet fuel is estimated to be approximately 8 million tons by 2030, flying an estimated 190 million domestic passengers a year.

As part of its clean energy endeavour, Boeing India announced that it will work together with SpiceJet, and CSIR-IIP (Council Of Scientific And Industrial Research–Indian Institute Of Petroleum) to explore opportunities for using SAF in the Indian aviation industry.

The collaboration is aimed at leveraging SAF supply from CSIR-IIP and its production partners and licensees to help SpiceJet decarbonise its fleet.