UPSC Prelims 2024·GS1·science-and-technology·science and technology

Consider the following materials: 1. Agricultural residues 2. Corn grain 3. Wastewater treatment sludge 4. Wood mill waste Which of the above can be used as feedstock for producing Sustainable Aviation Fuel?

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Last updated 23 May 2026, 3:31 pm IST
  1. A1 and 2 only
  2. B3 and 4 only
  3. C1, 2, 3 and 4Correct
  4. D1, 3 and 4 only

Explanation

All four listed materials can be used as feedstock for producing Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). SAF is a biofuel used to power aircraft, designed to reduce aviation's carbon emissions, and can be produced from diverse biomass and waste streams. 1. **Agricultural residues:** Correct. Crop residues (corn stover, wheat straw, bagasse) are lignocellulosic biomass and a major SAF feedstock via Biomass-to-Liquid (BtL) or Alcohol-to-Jet (AtJ) pathways. 2. **Corn grain:** Correct. Sugar/starch crops can be converted to ethanol and then to SAF via the Alcohol-to-Jet (AtJ) pathway, despite the food-vs-fuel debate. 3. **Wastewater treatment sludge:** Correct. Sewage sludge and MSW can be converted to SAF through thermochemical routes such as gasification followed by Fischer-Tropsch synthesis. 4. **Wood mill waste:** Correct. Sawdust, wood chips and mill bark are lignocellulosic feedstocks suitable for SAF production through processes similar to those used for agricultural residues. Hence, all four are valid SAF feedstocks.
science-and-technology: Consider the following materials: 1. Agricultural residues 2. Corn grain 3. Wastewater treatment sludge 4. Wood mill was

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