Freeman Razemba
Senior Reporter
Government has received the Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Business Implementation Study (BIS) Report from the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) as the country advances plans to establish a domestic sustainable aviation fuel industry and positions the country as a regional green jet fuel hub.
Recently, the Government reaffirmed its continued support for ICAO’s programmes aimed at establishing a safe, secure, orderly and sustainable international air transport system.
ICAO is a specialised agency of the United Nations that coordinates the principles and techniques of international air navigation and fosters the planning and development of international air transport to ensure safe and orderly growth.
In a statement, the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development said it welcomes the report as a milestone achievement in its quest for the decarbonisation, modernisation and long-term competitiveness of the aviation sector.
“The study was undertaken under the Assistance, Capacity-Building and Training for Sustainable Aviation Fuels (ACT-SAF) programme, with financial and technical support from the Government of the United Kingdom. Building on earlier work, the BIS aligns with Zimbabwe’s commitment to the global Long-Term Aspirational Goal of net-zero carbon emissions from international aviation by 2050.
“It also builds on the country’s State Action Plan on CO, emissions reduction, which identified SAF as a mitigation measure, and on its participation in the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA),” the ministry said.
“Most directly, it builds on the November 2023 Zimbabwe SAF Feasibility Study, which identified 14 potential feedstocks, including sugarcane, cassava, sorghum, jatropha and lignocellulosic residues.”
It said the BIS turns those findings into a business case, an implementation roadmap and an investment framework, moving from assessing potential to determining how SAF can be implemented.
According to the ministry, it highlights opportunities to build on Zimbabwe’s existing bio-fuels and ethanol capabilities, particularly through the Alcohol-to-Jet pathway as the SAF industry extends beyond aviation, the Government intends to operationalise the SAF Inter-Ministerial Committee.
“The committee will review and prioritise the Study’s findings and develop a clear, costed and time-bound national SAF roadmap,” it said.
“The roadmap will cover policy, regulatory, institutional, investment, infrastructure and financing. Feedstock, market and technical requirements. The ministry will then facilitate the consolidation of the findings for Cabinet consideration.
“Recommendations will be weighed against economic viability, environmental sustainability, agricultural productivity and energy security.
“The study aligns with the priorities of National Development Strategy 2 (2026–2030), including inclusive growth and structural transformation, infrastructure, climate resilience, job creation, technology and human capital.”
It is also consistent with Zimbabwe’s aspiration for a Prosperous and Empowered Upper Middle-Income Society by 2030.
