VISAKHAPATNAM: GPS Renewables (GPSR) has kickstarted the construction of India’s first Ethanol-to-Jet (ETJ) Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) plant after being awarded the Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contract by NTPC Limited.
The plant being set up at the Green Hydrogen Hub of NTPC Green Energy Limited in Pudimadaka, within the APIIC industrial area at Atchuthapuram of Anakapalle district. The project is aimed at building domestic capacity for sustainable aviation fuel production.
GPS Renewables will execute the project as the primary contractor, supported by technology and engineering partners. Lummus Technology will provide the ETJ technology licence and basic engineering, while Xytel India will handle detailed engineering for the core process package.
The company’s scope includes end-to-end execution covering engineering, procurement, construction, start-up, and commissioning. It will also manage hydrogen generation systems, along with offsite and utility infrastructure. The project is scheduled for completion by March 2029, followed by one year of post-commissioning operations.
The facility is designed to produce 1,800 tonnes per annum of sustainable aviation fuel using ethanol derived from carbon dioxide. The process involves ethanol-to-ethylene conversion, olefins oligomerisation, and hydroprocessing to produce SAF and renewable diesel.
Mainak Chakraborty, Co-founder and CEO of GPS Renewables, said sustainable aviation fuel remains a key option to reduce emissions in the aviation sector. He noted that the collaboration with Lummus Technology is aimed at enabling scalable production of SAF in India using proven process pathways.
Romain Lemoine, Chief Business Officer at Lummus Technology, said the project marks the transition of ethanol-to-jet technology from concept to commercial deployment, adding that India’s ethanol ecosystem provides a strong foundation for such initiatives.
GPS Renewables, headquartered in Bengaluru, develops technology and project solutions in renewable fuels, including biogas and compressed biogas plants, and has partnerships with public sector oil companies to expand biofuel infrastructure in the country.