The Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (UCAA), in partnership with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the Government of the United Kingdom, have presented the Final Draft Report of the Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Feasibility Study for Uganda at Imperial Golf View Hotel, Entebbe.
This initiative aims to decentralize fuel production across all States and regions, providing fair and equal opportunities for developing countries like Uganda to participate throughout the value chain, from feedstock production to fuel processing and use.
In line with this strategy, the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development and Uganda National Oil Company (UNOC) are expected to play a pivotal role in steering the country’s national SAF and cleaner aviation energy programme, while UCAA will continue to serve in an advisory capacity.
Speaking on behalf of the Director General, Olive Birungi Lumonya, the Deputy Director General, UCAA, expressed gratitude to ICAO and the UK Government for the technical and financial support that made the study possible.
She emphasized that Uganda is committed to embracing cleaner aviation energy sources in line with ICAO’s global goal of reducing aviation CO₂ emissions by 5% by 2030 through SAF, Lower Carbon Aviation Fuels (LCAF), and other cleaner energies.
“The mandates for using SAF blends are already being implemented in Europe and other regions of the world; even our national carrier operating in the UK is required to uplift SAF-blended fuel on its return route from London. At UCAA, we believe that fast-tracking the production and deployment of our own SAF will not only reduce costs for our national carriers but also contribute to environmental sustainability and create economic opportunities for the business community,” she said.
The study confirms that Uganda has significant potential to produce SAF using its rich biomass resources, an opportunity that could strengthen environmental protection, support energy security, and unlock new socio-economic benefits for the country.
Irene Atto, the UCAA’s Acting Director Safety, Security and Economic Regulation emphasized that Uganda was among the first African States to voluntarily join ICAO’s CORSIA scheme in 2019, demonstrating the country’s strong commitment to green aviation and climate resilience.
In addition, she reaffirmed UCAA’s commitment to championing sustainability within the sector, fostering innovation and ensuring that Uganda keeps pace with global advancements in green aviation technologies.
However, she also recognized that as they move towards adoption of SAF, there is need for coordinated effort, enabling policies and above all, sustained investment, saying, “It will require collective will, that I am confident demonstrated by the present of our critical stakeholders.”
The SAF programme now moves into its next phase: developing a national Business Case Study that will guide full implementation in collaboration with key ministries, UNOC, and aviation stakeholders.
Uganda remains committed to contributing to global aviation decarbonization and positioning itself as a regional leader in sustainable aviation.
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