Kenya Airways promotes sustainable aviation fuel, but can Africa go green?

As the global aviation industry races towards net-zero emissions by 2050, Kenya Airways(KQ) is positioning itself as a continental leader in the green revolution.

The airline is working towards Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), producing a tangible impact by blending local production from feedstock with the conventional jet fuel.

KQ Chief Strategy and  Innovation Officer Hellen Mathuka says that the company is betting on offering an alternative to the conventional duel, noting that SAF is hailed globally as the best shot for decarbonising aviation.

“It is projected that this fuel can reduce life cycle emissions by as much as 80per cent compared to the conventional jet fuel. That basically means that the emissions that we produce as an industry reduce significantly, thus protecting our environment and having a significant impact from a climate change perspective,” Mathuka explains. 

Meanwhile, fuel accounts for more than 60 per cent of airlines’ carbon footprint, making it the single largest contributor to aviation emissions. 

For KQ, reducing the footprint is not just about global commitments, but also about maintaining its competitiveness in an industry under increasing environmental scrutiny.

According to the International Airport Transport Association(IATA), SAF only makes up a sliver of jet fuel used globally, representing less than 0.3 per cent in the most recent years, despite production nearly doubling between 2022 and 2023.

Mathuka attributes the low SAF use to the high cost of production.

“Currently, less than one per cent of sustainable fuel is being used in the industry, mainly because of production costs,” says Mathuka.

 “On average, it is two to three times more expensive than conventional fuel. That is why the uptake has been so low.”

KQ has decided to set a modest target by just blending two per cent SAF into its fuel mix this year and gradually scaling up to 10 per cent by 2030.

Currently, the airline stresses that it will not be possible to abandon conventional fuel entirely, as the sustainable fuel produced will not be enough to power all aircraft in the sector.

“We cannot just stop today and switch to 100 per cent SAF,” Mathuka admits.

 “If you did that, you would cripple the entire industry. Not everyone can afford it, and the production volumes are nowhere near sufficient. So this is about progressive adoption, blending SAF into conventional jet fuel over time.”

She acknowledges the steep up-front costs but hopes technology improvements and scaling up production will make the initiative affordable to fit in the market competition.

“Over time, as the industry adopts SAF, technology will kick in. Production will become more efficient, and the costs will eventually come down,” Mathuka says.

The airline company has been pushing for sustainable fuel since 2022, but what makes this year’s initiative unique is its quest to use locally sourced SAF rather than importing.

They have partnered with a startup in Kwale County that is rehabilitating disused mining land by planting biofuel crops.

“We are trying to bring life back to land that had been mined and is unsafe for habitation by planting non-food biofuel crops like castor, sunflower, and cotton byproducts. We avoid competing with food production while producing sustainable raw material for fuel,” she explains.

The locally produced fuel has already gone through international certification, meeting the standards required for blending into aviation operations. 

KQ plans to showcase this milestone during the SkyTeam Aviation Challenge from October 5 to 26, blending two percent locally made SAF into six selected flights, including one intra-African route.

Mathuka believes this effort is more than just symbolism;  “Doing it locally improves our costs significantly. If we had to import all this fuel, it would be very difficult. Scaling local production is key.”

The initiative comes at a time when global aviation is under pressure to green its operations.

For instance, in Europe, the EU’s ReFuelEU regulation requires airlines to blend two per cent SAF by 2025, rising to six per cent by 2030, with even more ambitious targets set for 2050. 

On the other hand, the UK is pushing its own SAF mandate, while in the US, long-term contracts and government tax incentives are driving uptake.

Similarly, countries like Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore are experimenting with agricultural waste and biomass residues for SAF production while tightening regulatory frameworks to standardise use.

Africa is just at the pilot stage with no blending mandates, no large-scale government subsidies, nor limited regulatory frameworks.

Mathuka believes this makes KQ a pioneer and guinea pig in the sustainability initiative.

“The reality is that adoption globally is still at two per cent, and Africa’s contribution to emissions is relatively small. Yet we still have to meet the same global rules. Without supportive policy frameworks, projects like ours remain vulnerable to high costs and uncertain demand,” she says.

One of the key challenges that the airline company has observed is securing enough feedstock to produce SAF at scale.

The fuel typically comes from waste oils, agricultural residues, or non-food crops. 

This would mean dedicating land and resources to fuel crops without threatening food security or biodiversity.

“The major challenge is the cost of production and the lack of raw materials,” Mathuka admits. 

Concerns have been raised by environmentalists that scaling up SAF globally could bring new ecological pressures, from deforestation to water stress.

 For KQ, the solution lies in strict sustainability checks.

 “Our priority is ensuring that feedstock production does not compete with food or harm ecosystems. That is why we focus on non-food crops on marginal land,” Mathuka clarifies.

Even as the travel cost is expected to be higher, she trusts that their passengers and corporate clients will choose sustainability when making travel decisions.

“Corporations and even individuals are looking at the sustainability habits of airlines and making conscious decisions to fly with those that are greener,” she says.

KQ hopes that the rising climate awareness will encourage passengers to support its SAF efforts, even if greener flying comes with a price premium in the future.

For Kenya to meet its 10 per cent blending target by 2030 without straining financially, the government's support will be crucial. 

“Governments globally are working with airlines because they also have sustainability targets to meet. “Incentives can ensure that costs don’t spiral out of control. This has to be a shared effort among multiple stakeholders,” says Mathuka

Such incentives could include land-use policies to support feedstock farming, tax breaks for SAF production facilities, or carbon credit schemes that make greener fuel financially viable.

In the whole process, transparency is key to measuring the steps to success.

The airline company is already using an IATA-certified carbon emissions calculator to track its footprint and plans to verify the reductions from SAF blending.

Mathuka explains the significance of the two per cent blend, noting that it is measurable and reduces emissions by about 1.6 per cent, as an additional one per cent reduces another 0.8 per cent.

She is quite optimistic about the road to reach net zero by 2050 despite the hurdles.

“The reality is the technology is not yet optimal, and the feedstock supply is not yet sufficient. SAF is not a magic bullet. But it is the best solution we have right now,” she adds.

For KQ, the road to greener skies will be gradual, from blending percentages of the SAF and scaling up as technology and supply chains mature

Energy consultant in extractives and sustainability, Patrick Obath, agrees that the biggest barrier to SAF adoption is cost.

“At the moment, sustainable aviation fuel is about five times more expensive than conventional jet fuel. Local production alone will not drastically lower the price unless more airlines gradually integrate SAF into their operations. As production increases and technology improves, costs will eventually stabilise,” he says.

Obath acknowledges that producing SAF locally could ease some expenses by reducing transport and importation costs.

He supports the pilot programme in Kwale County, noting that cultivating non-food crops on degraded mining land offers a sustainable model for scaling up.

He stresses that government involvement will be critical if SAF is to move beyond the pilot stage.

“The state should introduce incentives such as tax breaks to attract investors and encourage more farmers to grow these green crops. That way, adoption will not be limited to one region but can spread across the country and region,” he suggests.

Obath says the Kenyan government should play a significant role in scaling up SAF by introducing tax incentives to scale up production.

“This could attract many people to invest in the sustainability programme, and even the number of people adopting the green crops will increase countrywide,” he suggests.

On policy frameworks, Obath notes that Kenya is likely to lean on international aviation standards in the short term, given that SAF is still new to Africa.

“Over time, global policies will evolve in response to production levels, and Kenya will adapt accordingly. What matters now is that we start building the local ecosystem,” he adds.

While some future discussions in aviation point towards hydrogen as an alternative fuel, Obath argues that Kenya’s immediate priority is transitioning from traditional jet fuel to SAF, especially as SAF is a plug-in and can be handled with existing fuel systems.

“Hydrogen is still an emerging technology and is still a couple of decades from commercial piloting. For now, replacing conventional fuel with SAF is the most practical step forward in greening aviation,” he concludes.