Kenya Airways Signs Deal for Africa’s First Sustainable Aviation Fuel Refinery

Kenya Airways has signed a landmark agreement to develop Africa’s first dedicated sustainable aviation fuel refinery in what will be a major step towards advancing sustainable aviation in Africa.

The National Carrier entered into a memorandum of understanding with Rubis Energy Kenya on Tuesday, May 12, to set UP the first dedicated sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) refinery on the African continent.

The agreement was finalised in the presence of President William Ruto and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron, setting the stage for the aviation sector’s transition to cleaner energy.

Once completed, the refinery is expected to have a production capacity of 32,000 metric tonnes, with an estimated investment in the region of 60 million to 70 million Euros, roughly Ksh10 billion.

The ambitious project was initially unveiled ahead of the Africa Forward Summit 2026 with the aim of establishing East Africa’s first SAF production unit, further cementing Kenya Airways’ reputation as a forward-looking and environmentally conscious airline.

Central to the initiative is the use of locally available resources to produce aviation fuel, which is significantly lower in carbon.

The refinery will thus process waste cooking oil and tallow, including animal fats collected locally and transform them into viable aviation fuel through a series of advanced processes.

The initial stages will see pre-treatment of oils and fats to remove impurities, to ensure that only high-quality raw materials will proceed to the next production phase.

Afterwards, the raw materials will undergo hydrodeoxygenation, which is essentially the removal of oxygen from the feedstock, resulting in a fuel that is chemically similar to conventional jet fuel.

The third stage will entail further refinement through a process known as isomerisation. This is to improve the fuel’s performance characteristics, making it suitable for aviation use under global standards.

Finally, the product will undergo fractionation, which will separate the processed material into different usable fuel components, and this will mark the transformation into sustainable aviation fuel.

Incidentally, this is the second major partnership Kenya Airways has secured in a matter of days, following its deal with Trace as the Official Airline Partner for “Africa Forward –  Le Concert”, a flagship cultural event of the Africa-France Summit scheduled for May 12, 2026, at the Kasarani Indoor Arena in Nairobi.

The concert is set to highlight some influential voices in contemporary African music while also welcoming a number of French artists and audiences. Some big names expected at the event include Yemi Alade, Fally Ipupa, Youssou N’Dour, and Abigail Chams.