Nairobi, Kenya — Kenya Airways and Rubis Energy Kenya have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to develop the first dedicated sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) refinery in Africa.
The proposed facility, to be located in Nairobi, will establish a framework for joint engineering, financing and operations, focusing on the production of low-carbon aviation fuel using locally sourced waste feedstocks.
The agreement was signed in the presence of His Excellency Dr. William Ruto, C.G.H., President of the Republic of Kenya, and His Excellency Mr. Emmanuel Macron, President of the French Republic during the Africa Forward Summit. The summit, held for the first time in a non-Francophone country, underscored growing cooperation between Kenya and France in advancing green energy and technology investments.
The refinery will use modular technology developed by Dragonfly to process feedstocks such as used cooking oil, animal fats and vegetable oils. It will be located near Jomo Kenyatta International Airport to enable direct integration with existing aviation fuel infrastructure.
The project is expected to produce up to 32,000 tonnes of sustainable aviation fuel annually, with an estimated investment of between €60 million and €70 million.
Kenya Airways’ Acting Group Managing Director and CEO, George Kamal, said the initiative responds to the urgent need to reduce emissions in the aviation sector. He noted that JKIA currently consumes approximately 2.9 million litres of jet fuel daily.
He added that sustainable aviation fuel represents the most viable near-term solution for decarbonising air travel, aligning with the goals of the International Civil Aviation Organization to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
Jean-Christian Bergeron, CEO of Rubis Énergie, said the project aligns with the company’s global strategy to expand low-carbon energy solutions, particularly in Africa. He emphasized that the initiative will prioritize technology transfer and local workforce development to ensure the refinery and its supply chains are managed by Kenyan professionals.
Dragonfly’s CEO, Karl W. Feilder, said the refinery’s modular design allows it to be located close to both feedstock sources and fuel users. He added that the facility is expected to be operational within 24 months, leveraging existing infrastructure to supply SAF to Kenya Airways at JKIA.
