Minister Hardeep Singh Puri Inaugurates Pune’s First Alcohol-to-Fuel Aviation Project
Pune, 20th January 2024: Hardeep Singh Puri, the Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, inaugurated the pioneering pilot project for producing aviation turbine fuel from alcohol, marking a significant step towards Sustainable Biofuel (SAF). The project is located at the Research and Development unit of Praj Industries Ltd in Pirangut, near Pune.
During the launch event, Pramod Choudhari, President of Praj Group, and officials from Indian Oil and other companies joined the inauguration. Minister Puri highlighted the global demand for biofuels and acknowledged the challenges in the supply of raw agricultural materials. He noted that India is anticipated to play a crucial role in meeting this demand, as observed during the recent World Economic Forum in Davos.
Puri praised the technicians at the Praj industrial unit for establishing this project ahead of Brazil, expressing confidence that it will become a flagship initiative on a global scale.
Following the inauguration, Puri, accompanied by other officials, inspected the project and commended the incorporation of state-of-the-art technology.
It’s worth noting that last year, a successful flight from Pune to Delhi utilized aviation fuel derived from alcohol. Minister Puri himself received the aircraft at the Delhi airport, marking a significant milestone in sustainable aviation.
