{"id":116802,"date":"2026-02-25T11:55:53","date_gmt":"2026-02-25T11:55:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=116802"},"modified":"2026-02-25T11:55:53","modified_gmt":"2026-02-25T11:55:53","slug":"sustainable-aviation-fuels-could-unlock-major-economic-opportunities-for-ghana-icao-expert-says","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=116802","title":{"rendered":"Sustainable aviation fuels could unlock major economic opportunities for Ghana, ICAO expert says"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n \t<\/i> Read Time:<\/span>2 Minute, 26 Second <\/div>\n\n <\/div>
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Ghana possesses significant potential to become a hub for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production, offering both environmental and economic benefits, according to Damiana Serafini, Technical Consultant to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).<\/p>\n

Speaking to journalists on Tuesday at the ACT-SAF Feasibility Study Delivery Programme, themed \u201cFeasibility Study on the Use of Sustainable Aviation Fuels\u201d, Serafini highlighted the country\u2019s abundant feedstock resources and the value that SAF development could bring across multiple sectors of the economy.<\/p>\n

\u201cGhana has enough feedstock, and a variation of feedstocks, that can be sourced for the production of sustainable aviation fuels,\u201d Serafini said. <\/p>\n

While noting challenges in feedstock collection, aggregation, pre-treatment, and conditioning, she emphasised that these obstacles are common in many nations and can be overcome with the right policies.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe potential exists in Ghana, and our findings show which feedstocks make the most sense in terms of quality, volume, and sourcing paths,\u201d she explained. <\/p>\n

\u201cDecision-making processes and clear policy signals will define how the industry develops, because investors use policy frameworks to de-risk their investments.\u201d<\/p>\n

Serafini stressed that Ghana is not unique in its potential, but the country can differentiate itself through strategic policy decisions that attract investment and guide the SAF sector.<\/p>\n

The ICAO expert highlighted that SAF offers far-reaching benefits beyond reducing aviation emissions. <\/p>\n

While aviation is a relatively small contributor compared with other industries, its exponential growth means that SAF will play a critical role in national and global climate targets.<\/p>\n

\u201cSAF brings economic development across the upstream, middle, and downstream sectors, but most benefits are upstream where the feedstock is produced,\u201d Serafini said. <\/p>\n

\u201cEmission reductions are just the final outcome; the real gains happen throughout the value chain.\u201d<\/p>\n

She cited the example of cocoa husks, which are often discarded in fields, generating methane emissions and representing wasted resources. <\/p>\n

\u201cIf these husks are collected, pretreated, and conditioned for SAF production, investors will buy them, creating value where there was none. Small farmers producing cocoa would then find value not only in the pods but also in the husks,\u201d she explained.<\/p>\n

According to Serafini, using agricultural residues or municipal solid waste as feedstock requires efficient systems for collection and conditioning, which in turn creates employment opportunities, stimulates local economies, and promotes sustainable agricultural practices.<\/p>\n

Serafini emphasised that Ghana\u2019s SAF potential extends far beyond aviation. By integrating sustainable practices in feedstock collection and certification, inefficiencies in existing agricultural and waste management systems can be resolved, generating economic value and reducing environmental harm simultaneously.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe benefit is way beyond aviation, way beyond emissions. It\u2019s a sector that extends across multiple industries in the economy, providing opportunities for innovation, investment, and social development,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

The ACT-SAF programme, funded by the UK Department for Transport and supported by ICAO, is expected to provide critical guidance for policy, investment, and regulatory frameworks, helping Ghana realise the full potential of its SAF industry.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Ghana possesses significant potential to become a hub for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production, offering both environmental and economic benefits, according to Damiana Serafini, Technical Consultant to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).<\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":{"facebook_2277560469115098_106292521332774":"","twitter_aToxNzczMzI3Njk4OTg4ODUxMjAxOw==_1773327698988851200":""},"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[536,17487,1883,10,9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-116802","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-ghana","category-icao","category-national","category-politics","category-popular"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/116802","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=116802"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/116802\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=116802"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=116802"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=116802"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}