AM EDITORIAL: Alternative Aviation Fuel In Africa?
56 years ago, Prof. Felix Oragwu, a Nigerian, now 91 years old, powered Biafran aircraft with palm oil. He had led Biafra’s Research and Production (RAP) team during Nigeria’s civil war of 1967 to 1970.
At the height of the conflict amidst scarce resources, Oragwu and his team developed the famous ‘Ogbunigwe’ bomb and successfully processed palm oil to power a jet airplane. A war-torn nation, cut off from the world, had managed to turn a local resource into aviation fuel over five decades ago! Today, Indonesia is celebrating the same breakthrough, powering an aircraft with palm oil.
As at April 2025, the aviation industry is increasingly focused on Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) to reduce carbon emissions, with EU rules requiring fuel suppliers to include 2% SAF in fuel deliveries at European airports, rising to 70% by 2050. Before the COVID-19 crisis, International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) had forecasted that by 2050, international aviation emissions could triple compared with 2015.
The growing demand for air travel in Africa is making biofuel production potential in the continent very significant while positioning it as an emerging player in the global Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) landscape, even though Africa represents only 2.1% of global aviation activity. Air travel in Africa increased by 10.4% in October 2024 compared to same period in 2023 and this prompted airlines to expand capacity by 5.8%, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
A World Wildlife Fund (WWF) study has estimated that South Africa in particular, could produce 3.2-4.5 billion liters of SAF annually, more than double its domestic aviation fuel demand of 1.8 billion liters. This is partly, courtesy of rich availability of biomass in its rural areas.
Apart from biomass, countries like Nigeria, Kenya and some other Southern and Eastern African countries have feedstocks like sugarcane by-products, which are key resources for SAF production, offering additional environmental benefits such as improved biodiversity and water security. To realize this potential however, significant investments in green hydrogen capabilities, a critical component for advanced SAF production processes like power-to-liquid technology, will be required.
A major challenge in African countries is limited access to financing of SAF infrastructure, production facilities, feedstock supply chains, and export capabilities. This is why ICAO has made a case for international collaboration and substantial investments to address existing barriers.
Export of valuable feedstocks is equally a challenge with a country like South Africa exporting millions of liters of used cooking oil (UCO) to Europe for biofuel production whereas domestic utilization of such waste could support SAF production locally.
Major airlines in Africa, may also need to work together on SAF just like airlines in the Middle East where the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is targeting to produce 700 million liters of SAF annually by 2031 with major regional airlines, including Emirates, Etihad, and Air Arabia, driving this progress.
SAF is essentially an alternative aviation fuel made from waste and residues (now mainly used cooking oil), which can blend with regular fuel for jet engines. It is from non-petroleum feedstocks and has capacity to reduce emissions from air transportation. It can be blended at different levels with limits between 10% and 50%, depending on the feedstock and how the fuel is produced. According to ICAO, over 360,000 commercial flights have used SAF at 46 different airports largely concentrated in the United States and Europe.
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) collects renewable fuel data as part of the Renewable Fuel Standard, which provides an approximate consumption for novel biofuels such as SAF. EPA’s data show that approximately five million gallons of SAF were consumed in 2021, 15.84 million gallons in 2022, and 24.5 million gallons in 2023. Further detailed research by institutions such as Alternate Fuels Data Centre (afdc.energy.gov) is equally ongoing.
Renewable hydrocarbon biofuels offer many benefits such as engine and infrastructure compatibility, fewer emissions and more flexibility. Sources of materials for SAF are available all over Africa, with the economic potentials they carry.
While the searches for a more affordable new type of fuel that has to be as efficient as current fuels, at a lower price continues globally, it is important for aviation countries to look inwards for local solutions, even though such solutions would have to be subjected to international regulatory processes and standards.AM
