The 13th edition of the International Symposium on Fuels & Lubricants ISFL-2023, organised by IndianOil R&D, was inaugurated today by Pankaj Jain, Secretary (MoP&NG), in the presence of Shrikant Madhav Vaidya, Chairman (IndianOil); Dr. SSV Ramakumar, Director (R&D), IndianOil; Mark Davies, Senior Director (R&D) of LZA Strategic Technology, Lubrizol; Ranjan Kumar Mohapatra, Director (HR), IndianOil; Ms. Sukla Mistry, Director (Refineries), IndianOil; and captains of the Indian industry.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr Pankaj Jain said that India is already on an inclusive, ambitious and action-oriented path to attain Net Zero by 2070. He said that the Government has undertaken various initiatives such as 2G/3G ethanol, SAF, e-mobility, green Hydrogen, etc. which are all piloting a green future. “Even as India takes rapid strides towards a Net Zero era, oil & Gas will continue to be important in the interim. As new & green fuel options emerge, lubes & greases would need to be reformulated beyond conventional IC engines as per needs of mobility powered by LNG, CNG, Hydrogen Fuel Cell, Biofuels, wind, etc. These are exciting times for this industry...look forward to new ideas from this platform as Indian economy transitions to a new growth path,” Pankaj Jain added.
SM Vaidya, Chairman, IndianOil, highlighted issues such as energy security, reducing dependence on fossil fuels, decarbonising energy systems, etc. that are a matter of concern for the global fraternity. “Given the transitional state of the industry, platforms such as the ISFL conference will accelerate deliberations on a host of new-gen fuel options such as renewables, green mobility, oxygenated fuels (E20/ED5/MD15/M100), natural gas and green hydrogen,” remarked Vaidya. Sharing IndianOil’s commitment and definitive plan to achieve Net Zero operational emissions by 2046 when India enters its 100th year of Independence, Chairman said, “IndianOil was ranked 22nd globally and led Indian corproates in oil & gas sector in the global rankings on (energy) transition released by Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) last year.” The Chairman also spoke about the upcoming E20 blending target, agri-based biofuels and the MD15 (methanol-blended diesel) pilot trials flagged off recently.
In his address on the occasion, Dr. SSV Ramakumar, Director (R&D) said, “We have chosen the theme of this silver jubilee edition as Fuels & Lubricants as Enablers for Net Zero Goal. In the true spirit of the industry’s collective Net Zero journey, ISFL-2023 will be fully carbon neutral event. We have estimated the carbon footprint of this event as 40,000 kg of CO2 and would be planting 2000 trees during this year to completely offset the emissions arising on account of this event,” shared Dr. Ramakumar. Presenting to the audience an exclusive 25-year logo commemorating the silver jubilee journey of this series of Conferences, Dr. Ramakumar said, “The next-gen energy drop-shaped logo combines the memories of 25 years of this platform with the spirit of our steadfast commitment to innovation & excellence to lead the country into an exciting energy future”, said Director (R&D).
ISFL-2023 is the 13th edition of this Symposium and is organized by IndianOil R&D under the aegis of the ISFL Society. The theme of this symposium is "Fuels & Lubricants as Enablers for Net Zero Goal". It is a three-day event being conducted in the NCR during March 17-19, 2023. It is being attended by about 500 delegates spanning spectrum of Indian and global energy industry including lubricant manufacturers, fuel marketers, additive companies, academic & research institutions and end users from the automotive & industrial sector.
This edition is particularly special since it comes in the backdrop of the completion of 25 eventful years since the first ISFL Symposium was held in 1997. Over the last 25 years, this series of Conferences has emerged as a powerful platform to showcase to the world the significant achievements of the Indian fuels & lubricants sector. In the backdrop of India’s presidency of the G20, this edition of ISFL is focussing on the needs and solutions for Fuels and Lubricants as enablers towards meeting Net Zero goal.
