BPCL’s Mumbai Refinery to Make Sustainable Aviation Fuel with Topsoe Technology
Topsoe will supply its kerosene hydrotreating technology to Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) to produce sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) at BPCL's Mumbai Refinery.
Rather than building a new plant, BPCL will upgrade its existing kerosene hydrotreater, which processes 4,000 tonnes a day. After the revamp the unit will co-process 5% renewable feedstock — made from used cooking oil — along with conventional kerosene to produce SAF. Commissioning is expected by the end of 2026.
India's SAF blending targets for international flights are 1% by 2027, 2% by 2028 and 5% by 2030, the report notes.
"This project demonstrates how Topsoe's technology can provide a practical route for refiners to begin SAF production," said Alok Verma, Managing Director Asia Pacific at Topsoe. Sankar M, Executive Director of BPCL's Mumbai Refinery, called it "an important step towards building a robust domestic SAF ecosystem."
What it means for buyers and suppliers
Co-processing turns used cooking oil into a refinery feedstock. Collectors and pre-treaters of used cooking oil and other waste oils should expect more organised demand as refiners chase the 2027 blending target, and suppliers of hydrotreating catalysts and related chemicals to refineries have a new application to serve.
Source: Chemical Industry Digest (15 October 2026). Photo (representative): a hydrant dispenser refuelling an aircraft with jet fuel. David Monniaux, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.