African Development Bank and Japanese industrialist unite to explore SAF production in Africa

The African Development Bank, a key enabler of economic projects across the region, has joined with Japanese engineering group JGC Corporation to explore ways to collaborate on producing and providing sustainable aviation fuel in Africa. The parties signed a letter of intent during the Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9), held in Yokohama, Japan. It creates a basis to jointly promote development, information and knowledge sharing, and consider co-funding SAF and other sustainable aviation initiatives. A survey released by the African Airlines Association has revealed low levels of access to SAF for African carriers and widespread concerns about the likely costs of the new fuels. But the survey also showed significant support by the airlines for cooperation on securing SAF and on green financing initiatives.

Supporting the production and adoption of SAF throughout Africa is a key element of its sustainable transport, mobility and energy transition strategy, says the African Development Bank.

A major provider of funding to African governments and private investors across the region, the bank’s new partnership with JGC Corporation will include demand and feasibility studies for SAF production using Japanese technology in Africa. The bank will arrange coordination and discussions with public sector aviation stakeholders, identify potential projects and investigate financing initiatives, among them support for feasibility studies, debt and equity funding, and promoting SAF partnerships in Africa.

In return, JGC Corporation will undertake demand studies for SAF in African markets, conduct technical feasibility assessments, evaluate SAF deployment tailored to local resources and infrastructure, and facilitate and leverage Japanese technology in Africa.  

“Adopting sustainable aviation fuel in Africa is a crucial component of the journey to cutting the continent’s carbon dioxide emissions,” said Solomon Quaynor, the bank’s Vice President for Private Sector, Infrastructure and Industrialisation.

“It should boost the competitiveness of the sector over time. This partnership with JGC will help unlock new opportunities for green aviation and position Africa as a pacesetter in the sector.”

JGC Corporation welcomed the opportunity to collaborate with the African Development Bank in progressing SAF development.

“By leveraging our experience in plant and engineering and sustainable energy, we aim to contribute to Africa’s decarbonisation efforts while fostering local economic growth and innovation,” commented Shoji Yamada, Representative Director and President of JGC Corporation.

However, beyond announcing their partnership and an overview of potential actions, no details or timings have been revealed.

Despite the optimism of the bank and the industrialist, a survey of African airlines highlights a vast task in both producing SAF locally and deploying meaningful volumes. During the 2025 Aviation Africa Summit, held recently in Kigali, Rwanda, the African Airlines Association (AFRAA) released key findings from a survey of member carriers about their preparedness for SAF, which revealed around 80% had no access to the fuel at the airports they served.

Affordability was also a major concern, with 70% of responding airlines insisting that SAF prices must be competitive with the cost of conventional Jet A-1, and just 24% accepting “even a small premium” for the new fuel.

However, the survey also found 92% of respondents “are open to collaboration”, 84% are ready to join a SAF taskforce convened by AFRAA and more than half of the carriers surveyed are interested in green financing solutions to help drive the introduction of SAF.

Among the enabling measures proposed by AFRAA’s member airlines are tax exemptions, subsidies, harmonised certification frameworks and regional SAF production clusters to help accelerate fuel adoption.

They also want to strengthen capacity building through training programmes, industry workshops and technical briefings, and to activate the AFRAA SAF Taskforce’s joint procurement, knowledge sharing and advocacy.

AFRAA has published a strategy paper listing the minimum actions African carriers need to take to contribute to global decarbonisation of air transport, including adopting SAF, investing in new technologies, optimising operations and infrastructure, implementing effective carbon offsetting initiatives, and developing employee skills to support the switch to cleaner fuels.

“Sustainability requires bold regulatory clarity and regional alignment,” said AFRAA. “Fragmented national policies will only slow our progress.

“As the market evolves rapidly, it is crucial to remain adaptable. This coordinated effort requires active participation from AFRAA, airlines, governments and other stakeholders to ensure that the African aviation industry not only meets global environmental targets but also remains competitive and sustainable in a rapidly evolving global market.

“There are opportunities for Africa. The continent could achieve 0.6 million tonnes of SAF capacity by 2030. Local feedstocks – biomass, waste, solar-powered hydrogen – make Africa well-positioned to be a regional SAF production hub.

“AFRAA will continue to track airline progress through surveys to establish successes and challenges as well as take steps to address the bottlenecks.”

Photo: Kenya Airways was commended at the SkyTeam Aviation Challenge 2024 awards for its partnership with a local SAF producer to establish Kenya’s first SAF production plant

Tony Harrington
Correspondent