Key Takeaways
- Lummus Technology has secured the first commercial license for its integrated ethanol‑to‑jet (ETJ) technology, to be deployed at NTPC’s Pudimadaka plant in Andhra Pradesh, India, in partnership with GPS Renewables.
- The project will produce sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) from ethanol derived from flue gas, marking India’s first SAF‑capable facility using this feedstock.
- By coupling Lummus’ ETJ process with Braskem’s proven green‑ethylene dehydration (EtE EverGreen™) technology, the pathway offers reduced capital and operating expenditures and lower carbon intensity.
- India’s robust ethanol ecosystem, supported by the national Ethanol Blending Program, provides a scalable foundation for SAF production and aligns with the country’s clean‑energy ambitions.
- The collaboration underscores a growing trend of integrating bio‑based feedstocks with established petrochemical technologies to decarbonize hard‑to‑abate sectors like aviation.
Overview of the Project and Its Significance
Lummus Technology announced that GPS Renewables has selected its ethanol‑to‑jet (ETJ) technology for a landmark project led by the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) at Pudimadaka, Andhra Pradesh. This initiative represents the first commercial license of Lummus’ integrated ETJ pathway, moving the technology from pilot‑scale demonstration to full‑scale production. Once operational, the plant will be India’s inaugural facility capable of manufacturing sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) using ethanol sourced from flue gas, a waste‑derived feedstock that enhances the environmental credentials of the fuel. The deployment is positioned as a milestone for both Lummus and GPS Renewables, illustrating how innovative refining solutions can be scaled within India’s growing aviation market while contributing to national decarbonization targets.
Technical Details of Lummus’ Ethanol‑to‑Jet Technology
Lummus’ integrated ETJ solution combines several proven process blocks: ethanol dehydration to ethylene, oligomerization of light olefins to generate a jet‑range hydrocarbon stream, and advanced hydroprocessing to refine the product to aviation‑grade specifications. The dehydration step leverages Braskem’s EtE EverGreen™ technology, which has been commercially operating in Brazil since 2010 and provides a reliable, world‑scale platform for converting ethanol to green ethylene. Lummus then couples this ethylene output with its proprietary light‑olefins oligomerization catalyst and hydroprocessing technology, yielding a SAF that meets ASTM D7566 standards. The overall design emphasizes modularity, allowing the plant to be adapted to varying ethanol capacities while maintaining high yields and low impurity levels.
Partnership and Collaboration with Braskem and GPS Renewables
The collaboration brings together three complementary entities: Lummus supplies the ETJ process license, basic engineering package, proprietary catalysts, and technical support; Braskem contributes its mature ethanol‑dehydration expertise via the EtE EverGreen™ unit; and GPS Renewables provides project development, local execution, and access to India’s ethanol supply chain. Mainak Chakraborty, Co‑founder and CEO of GPS Renewables, highlighted that the partnership aligns with the company’s mission to accelerate India’s clean‑energy transition by scaling proven, commercially viable biofuel pathways. Romain Lemoine, Lummus’ Chief Business Officer, noted that the integrated approach reduces both capital outlay and operating expenses compared with constructing standalone ethanol‑to‑jet facilities, thereby improving the economic attractiveness of SAF production.
Economic and Environmental Benefits
By utilizing ethanol derived from flue gas—a byproduct of industrial processes—the project avoids competition with food crops and leverages a low‑cost, low‑carbon feedstock. The integrated ETJ route is projected to achieve a lower carbon intensity than conventional fossil‑based jet fuel, contributing to measurable greenhouse‑gas reductions in the aviation sector, which is notoriously difficult to decarbonize. Economically, the shared use of Braskem’s existing dehydration infrastructure reduces the need for new capital equipment, while Lummus’ optimized catalysts and process design aim to lower operating expenditures through higher yields and reduced energy consumption. These factors collectively improve the fuel’s cost competitiveness, a critical factor for airline adoption of SAF under evolving regulatory frameworks such as CORSIA and national blending mandates.
India’s Ethanol Ecosystem and Policy Support
India’s Ethanol Blending Program (EBP), targeting 20% ethanol blending in petrol by 2025, has spurred rapid expansion of ethanol production capacity, creating a robust domestic supply chain. The country’s abundant agricultural residues and sugarcane‑based ethanol plants provide a scalable base for producing the ethanol needed for SAF synthesis. Additionally, government initiatives such as the Sustainable Alternative Towards Affordable Transportation (SATAT) scheme, which promotes compressed biogas (CBG) and other biofuels, foster a supportive policy environment for renewable fuel projects. GPS Renewables’ existing joint ventures with Indian Oil, Bharat Petroleum, and Oil India to build CBG plants further demonstrate the company’s capability to execute large‑scale biofuel infrastructure, reinforcing the feasibility of integrating SAF production into India’s broader renewable energy strategy.
Future Outlook and Global Implications
The Pudimadaka project is expected to serve as a replicable model for other regions seeking to deploy ethanol‑based SAF at scale. Success could accelerate additional licenses of Lummus’ ETJ technology, particularly in countries with strong ethanol industries such as the United States, Brazil, and the European Union. Moreover, the project highlights a broader trend of marrying bio‑feedstock upgrading with established petrochemical processes to lower the barrier to entry for sustainable fuels. As airlines face increasing pressure to meet net‑zero commitments, pathways like ethanol‑to‑jet that offer proven technology, reduced carbon intensity, and compatibility with existing fuel logistics are likely to gain traction. Continued collaboration between technology providers, renewable‑fuel developers, and policy makers will be essential to scale SAF production sufficiently to meaningfully impact aviation emissions worldwide.