Kenya Airways and Rubis Energy Kenya have signed a memorandum of understanding to develop a dedicated sustainable aviation fuel refinery in Kenya.
The Nairobi-based project establishes a framework for the joint engineering, financing and operation of a facility designed to produce low-carbon aviation fuel from local waste feedstocks. The refinery will use Dragonfly’s modular technology to process used cooking oils, waste animal fats and other vegetable oils.
The facility is expected to be located near Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, allowing production to be integrated with existing airport and fuel infrastructure. It is expected to have a production capacity of 32,000 tonnes, with an estimated project investment of €60 million to €70 million.
The agreement was finalised during the Africa Forward Summit in the presence of President William Ruto and President Emmanuel Macron, and is positioned within wider Kenya-France cooperation on green energy and technology investment.
The project aims to support aviation decarbonisation, reduce Kenya’s reliance on imported fuel and provide a local, long-term daily supply of sustainable aviation fuel to Kenya Airways at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. Kenya Airways said JKIA currently consumes 2.9 million litres of jet fuel every day, underlining the scale of potential demand for locally produced SAF.
The airline noted that sustainable aviation fuel is the most commercially viable, technologically mature and lowest-risk route to significantly decarbonise aviation, and linked the project to the International Civil Aviation Organization’s goal of achieving net zero CO₂e emissions by 2050.
Rubis Énergie said the project would prioritise technology transfer and training for local skills development, so that the facility and associated supply chains could be operated and managed by Kenyans.
The intention is to bring the facility online within 24 months. the modular refinery model is designed to be sited close to both feedstock sources and fuel consumers, while using existing Rubis infrastructure to support daily SAF supply to Kenya Airways at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
