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By Chinelo Obogo, [email protected]
The global aviation industry is on the cusp of a green revolution and at the heart of this transformation is Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), a revolutionary alternative that significantly reduces carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by up to 80%.
SAF, already in use across commercial aviation, is produced from renewable sources such as feedstock, waste oils, fats, and non-food crops. It has emerged as a critical tool in the fight against climate change, offering a sustainable pathway to cut greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions throughout the aviation value chain.
As part of global efforts to meet environmental targets, the African Civil Aviation Commission (AFCAC) has called for the new Dangote Refinery to lead the charge in SAF production. The commission believes that Africa, home to one of the fastest-growing aviation markets, must position itself at the forefront of sustainable aviation fuel development. With Dangote Refinery’s advanced infrastructure and capacity, AFCAC sees it as a potential key player in reshaping the continent’s aviation fuel landscape, making SAF production a priority for future-proofing the industry.
The call to action comes at a critical juncture. Global aviation bodies like the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) have championed the adoption of SAF as part of an ambitious goal to achieve net-zero CO2 emissions by 2050. They are pushing for SAF to eventually replace Jet A1 fuel, a fossil-based fuel that has been the industry’s mainstay for decades. If successful, the transition will mark one of the largest shifts in aviation history, paving the way for more sustainable air travel.
Yet, within the African aviation sector, there are growing debates about the feasibility of fully transitioning to SAF by 2050.
Some African policymakers argue that the continent’s relatively small contribution to global CO2 emissions raises questions about whether it is justifiable to mandate a complete replacement of Jet A1 by SAF. Despite this, the potential benefits of adopting SAF are clear. Not only would it contribute to Africa’s broader environmental and climate goals, but it would also align the continent with international standards, ensuring that African airlines remain competitive on the global stage.
Moreover, there are significant economic opportunities to be gained. By investing in SAF production, Africa can reduce its dependence on imported fuel, develop a new green economy, and attract foreign investments into the aviation and energy sectors. If the Dangote Refinery takes on the challenge, it could become a trailblazer in sustainable fuel innovation in Africa, driving both local and regional growth while playing a pivotal role in the global fight against climate change.
When it comes to aviation, available data shows that Africa is punching below its weight. A continent of over one billion people barely does 200 million passengers a year and accounts for just about 2.1 percent of global traffic. Though IATA projects a five percent growth for Africa’s aviation by 2030, critics still insist that the continent should not be coerced into enforcing the use of SAF since its contribution to global air traffic is below 2.5%.
In the September edition of the African Airlines Association (AFRAA) SkyConnect Leadership Dialogues, which took place virtually on Wednesday and was attended by Daily Sun, Mr. Frankline Omondi, an environment aviation expert with the African Civil Aviation Commission (AFCAC), shared the organisation’s views and action plan on aviation sustainability in Africa. While acknowledging the challenges of lack of infrastructure and financial resources in Africa to meet IATA’s target, Omondi, who was the guest speaker, said SAF production and use can mitigate the adverse effects of climate change, neutralise Africa’s net emissions, and substantially contribute to the attainment of the global goal of net-zero emissions by 2050.
To solve the very serious issues of lack of infrastructure, Omondi said AFCAC, the African Union’s specialised agency for all civil aviation matters on the African continent and the executing agency of the Yamoussoukro Decision (YD) and Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM), believes that countries like Nigeria and South Africa have the capacity and infrastructure to produce SAF for the entire continent. He alluded to Nigeria’s ‘new’ refinery, which he said could be repurposed for the production of SAF, with many believing he was referring to the newly completed Dangote refinery.
AFCAC’s 25-year vision for sustainable African aviation
CO2 emissions are directly related to climate change, which is an existential threat to humanity, and aviation plays its part when aircraft burn fuel and release CO2 into the atmosphere. However, there is a ray of hope because IATA and ICAO have projected that Africa’s aviation would grow by three to five percent by 2050. The African Union and AFCAC have concluded an African aviation analysis with a focus of 25 years, and using 2030 as a baseline, the report shows that air traffic is expected to have doubled by 2050. All these projections show that Africa will grow, and with this growth, if nothing is done, CO2 emissions from Africa would also rise. There have been initiatives in Africa that support the growth of African aviation.
Sustainability can be applied in a broad sense to various aspects. African aviation can grow in an environmentally sustainable way, and AFCAC has come up with initiatives to support African states to accelerate efforts and develop SAF. It is our belief that SAF would help the industry because airlines need fuel to operate, and SAF has technically been proven to have fewer emissions, which would have less impact on our climate. Aviation is a very dynamic industry, and they are always finding ways to operate better. For instance, some of the aircraft being produced today are more fuel-efficient than those that were produced 10 to 20 years ago.
At the continental level, are we at par with other regions in steps we are taking to be more sustainable?
Africa is playing its part and is increasingly gaining recognition for aviation in Africa to be environmentally sustainable. Different regions of the world are at different stages of development, and Africa may be ahead in some aspects and behind in others. AFCAC is looking for ways in which African airlines can fly more efficiently and cost-effectively.
IATA stated that SAF is a key component to the future of the industry, but the concerns have always been that there is insufficient production of SAF in Africa. Where it is available, we have challenges with infrastructure to move it to storage at the airport and put it into planes for use. The third element is that there is always a huge cost associated with SAF. Are these the realities of the African market regarding SAF, or is something not happening right?
It is a global problem. Indeed, technical work has shown that SAF has the greatest potential to reduce CO2 from international emissions. Some African countries have contributed immensely to the technical work done by ICAO, and it shows that the projected global fuel demand by 2030 is 330,000 tonnes of jet A1. It is also projected that by 2030, only 16,000 tonnes of SAF would be produced in Africa.
The global aviation industry has also met again and came up with a global framework for the deployment of SAF and other clean energy, saying that by 2030, we should have five percent SAF replacing the current jet A1 that we use. If nothing is done in Africa, and we get to the year 2030, and global aviation expects that five percent of the fuel we use is SAF, we must take action today.
What kind of actions do we then need to take?
We need to address the issue of cost. The SAF that is available is largely limited due to the research and technology that are available. Airlines have already committed to taking all the SAF that is available today because the demand is higher than the supply. How do we then address this issue as a continent? AFCAC is working with African states to develop and produce SAF because our main issue is the high cost and unavailability of the product. We have to start by looking at our regulatory landscape to overcome that barrier by creating an enabling environment for technological growth. I have also been reading that Africa has huge potential for SAF production, but it is currently not cultivated, even though it can be used for SAF purposes. The feedstock needed for SAF production is greatly available on the continent. The technology we have today shows that SAF can be produced from food-based plant materials, especially waste. Therefore, Africa has enormous potential, and the argument that SAF would be competing with food is avoided by focusing on SAF production from these non-food-based sources.
Africa seems to have huge potential for feedstock and can collaborate to allow countries with the technology to produce the fuel. The technology is not available on the continent at a large scale. Would you go with the school of thought that Africa should focus on feedstock only?
Africa must enjoy the full economic benefits that come with SAF development and production. A study by the World Bank shows that developing and producing SAF in Africa would lead to 20 million additional jobs. It is a fact that Africa is endowed with huge resources in terms of feedstock, and it is also a fact that the missing gap is the technology to convert that feedstock into aviation fuel.
Already, there is existing expertise within the continent, such as in South Africa and Nigeria. Both countries have the capability to produce SAF. South Africa has the potential, though the structure is limited. In Nigeria, there are very new refineries which could be repurposed for SAF production. Therefore, we just need to bridge the gap. I believe that once we get our policy framework right, collaboration among African countries would be very easy because you may find that one region in Africa has rich resources in terms of feedstock, and another region would have existing technology. So, it is important that there is strong collaboration among African countries to leverage the existing potential. There are also existing human resources with the expertise to produce SAF. One of the things we have consistently done in AFCAC is that whatever policies arise, we interrogate them based on the impact they have on aviation in Africa, and we have ensured that the long-term goals for net-zero by 2050 do not impose responsibility on individual states. Africa can only contribute to the goal in a way that suits its aviation industry.
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