The Ethiopian Mineral Corporation and Sunbird Bioenergy Africa signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) this week that would see vast tracts of farmland dedicated to growing sugarcane and cassava to be used as inputs for the production of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), clean household cooking fuel, and transport ethanol blends.
The agreement, signed by Corporation CEO Tewodros Getachew and Sunbird chief executive Richard Bennett, outlines plans to develop a 20,000 hectare biorefinery where locally produced feedstocks such as sugarcane and cassava will be processed into renewable fuel.
Sunbird will be in charge of production, slated to begin in 2030, while the Corporation will provide industrial expertise and infrastructural support, according to the MoU.
Corporation executives and government officials say the move is part of Ethiopia’s wider transition towards green energy, which has thus far seen a series of measures designed to encourage the adoption of electric vehicles.
From The Reporter Magazine
While the project envisions the production of clean household cooking fuel to replace charcoal and kerosene, its primary objective is sustainable aviation fuel, which the Corporation plans to sell to the Ethiopian Airlines Group.
Temesgen Getaye, Group treasurer, hailed the MoU as a historic milestone.
“As we grow our network, modernize our fleet, open new routes, and reach more customers than ever, we simultaneously face urgent environmental and climate challenges,” he said, highlighting SAF as a potential avenue towards reducing Ethiopian Airlines’ environmental impact.
From The Reporter Magazine
As a member of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), Ethiopian has committed to the ambitious target of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
However, SAF remains largely untested.
A World Economic Forum report from 2023 indicated that SAF accounted for less than 0.1 percent of global consumption. The report also highlighted issues such as SAF’s high price point (four times more expensive than jet fuel) and relatively low energy density.
“Planes would therefore need to carry high volumes of SAF to make long-haul flights—such high volumes that it could become impractical,” it reads.
Still, carriers around the globe, including Qantas Airways, are investing heavily in hopes of accelerating the production of SAF, according to the report.
The MoU also raises questions about the efficacy and commitment of Sunbird, whose website claims it has successfully implemented similar projects in Sierra Leone and Zambia.
However, a 2024 report by a Zambian news outlet indicated that large tracts of farmland dedicated to growing cassava for a strategic biofuel project under Sunbird had never been harvested, more than six years after local farmers agreed to grow the cash crop.
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