The global aviation industry, which is responsible for approximately 2-3 per cent of worldwide emissions, faces a formidable challenge in decarbonisation. Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) has emerged as the most critical near- to mid-term solution, capable of reducing lifecycle carbon emissions by up to 80% compared to conventional jet fuel.
For Africa, a continent whose aviation sector is projected to grow by over 5% annually, the adoption of SAF is not merely an environmental imperative but a strategic economic opportunity.
However, the continent’s transition is hampered by profound infrastructural, financial, and policy gaps. This paper argues that strategically structured Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) are not just a promising model but an essential catalyst for building the comprehensive infrastructure needed to scale SAF production and usage across Africa.
Infrastructure imperative: a multi-billion-dollar gap
Technology alone is insufficient. For SAF to transition from a niche product to a mainstream solution, it requires a fully integrated value chain infrastructure, encompassing feedstock aggregation and pre-processing facilities, biorefineries, blending stations, dedicated storage tanks, and integrated airport hydrant systems.
The scale of the challenge is monumental. According to current records, global SAF production accounts for less than 0.2% of total jet fuel demand, and in Africa, the infrastructure is virtually nonexistent. The continent remains dependent on imported fossil-based jet fuel, with its supply chains optimized for a centralized, fossil-based model.
Africa’s potential as a SAF producer is significant, leveraging abundant resources such as agricultural residues, non-edible oils, and eventually solar-powered green hydrogen for Power-to-Liquid pathways.
Yet, without infrastructure, this potential remains untapped. Building a single commercial-scale biorefinery can cost between $ 500 million and over $ 1 billion. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) estimates that to meet global 2030 SAF production targets, investments exceeding 1.5 trillion dollars in infrastructure will be required worldwide.
Africa’s share of this investment is substantial, yet current capital flows are negligible. PPPs provide a proven framework to de-risk these massive, capital-intensive projects and align them with national development goals.
Unlocking finance and technical expertise through PPP structures
PPPs have successfully mobilized infrastructure investment in the African energy, transport, and telecommunications sectors. This model’s power lies in its risk-sharing mechanism, combining public-sector mandate and policy leverage with private-sector efficiency, capital, and technical expertise.
The sheer scale of investment needed surpasses public-sector budgets in most African nations. PPPs can attract private finance from project finance banks, infrastructure funds, and climate-focused investors by structuring bankable projects that meet their requirements.
The public partner can facilitate this through mechanisms like viability gap funding, concessional loans from development finance institutions (DFIs), or by providing sovereign guarantees to mitigate perceived political and regulatory risks. For instance, the Africa Finance Corporation and the African Development Bank have demonstrated an increasing appetite for green infrastructure, which can be supported by PPP frameworks.
Most advanced SAF production pathways, such as Hydroprocessed Esters and Fatty Acids (HEFA) and Alcohol-to-Jet (ATJ), require specialized technology and operational expertise, which are primarily held by international firms.
A well-designed PPP mandates technology transfer and local capacity building as core components. This enables partnerships between global SAF producers (such as Neste, World Energy, or emerging tech providers) and local entities, ensuring that projects are adapted to local feedstock specifics and creating a skilled indigenous workforce. This moves Africa from being a passive feedstock exporter to an active producer of high-value fuel.
Leveraging policy frameworks to create bankable markets
A primary barrier in Africa is the lack of coherent, SAF-specific policy frameworks. Uncertainty stifles investment. Here, PPPs function as a dynamic dialogue platform, where private sector input helps shape effective public policy, which in turn creates the market certainty required for investment.
As enacted in the EU, the UK, and the USA, blending mandates create guaranteed, long-term demand. A phased mandate provides the demand certainty that justifies infrastructure investment.
Incorporating aviation into carbon markets or applying carbon taxes makes SAF more cost-competitive. Conversely, tax credits for SAF production or exemptions from fuel excise duties can significantly improve project economics. South Africa’s carbon tax and Morocco’s renewable energy incentives offer regional precedents.
Governments can foster long-term corporate offtake agreements under a PPP umbrella, guaranteeing a market. Aligning with international sustainability certification schemes ensures African SAF access to global markets.
Africa’s strategic role in the global SAF network
With the right investment, Africa is poised to become a net exporter of sustainable energy. The global SAF market, projected to grow from $1.1 billion in 2023 to over $15 billion by 2030, represents a significant economic opportunity. By building infrastructure via PPPs, Africa can capture more value from its biomass and renewable resources, creating green jobs, enhancing energy security, reducing fossil fuel import bills, and positioning its aviation sector for carbon-neutral growth.
The journey to scaling SAF in Africa is fundamentally an infrastructure challenge. Public-private partnerships offer the most viable mechanism to bridge the financial, technical, and policy gaps that currently exist.
They transform the SAF proposition from a high-risk venture into a bankable, strategically aligned infrastructure asset. By leveraging PPPs to build robust SAF ecosystems, African nations can move from being passengers in the global energy transition to pilots and producers.
The time for strategic action is now; through collaborative investment, Africa has the potential not only to adopt the future of sustainable aviation but to actively define and supply it.
Over 100 countries, airlines, private sector corporations, aircraft manufacturers such as Boeing and Airbus, and other stakeholders have committed to goals towards net zero by 2050.
The growth of the aviation industry is expected to more than double in terms of the number of aircraft and billions of dollars in revenue growth. The call to action is for governments to partner with the private sector to produce alternative fuels like SAF and create new, environmentally friendly, and sustainable businesses, develop trade, and foster entrepreneurship to drive the economic transformation of the world.
The writer is a Business Leader and Chairman, Adili Group. X@DiazChrisAfrica
