Comprehensive Life Cycle Assessment of Sugar-based Sustainable Aviation Fuel for India

This study aims to conduct a detailed Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of sugar-derived Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), with the specific objective of establishing India-specific emission values in line with ICAO’s Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA). This initiative leverages India’s unique position as the world’s second-largest sugar producer and its substantial sugar industry infrastructure, which comprises over 350 mills, 5 million hectares under cultivation, and approximately 4.5 million tonnes of molasses produced annually.

The study focuses on key sugar-derived feedstocks—sugarcane as the main product, molasses as a co-product, and bagasse as a residue—while assessing their potential in the Alcohol-to-Jet (ATJ) technology pathway. The core metrics to be analyzed include greenhouse gas emissions, water consumption, energy efficiency, and land use impacts.

Expected outputs include CORSIA-compliant LCA values specific to Indian sugar-based SAF, comparative analyses with international benchmarks from Brazil, the United States, and global defaults, as well as identification of environmental hotspots and strategies for process optimization. The findings will also inform policy recommendations to accelerate SAF deployment in the Indian aviation sector and outline a strategic roadmap for sugar industry diversification into aviation fuel production.