By Omar Ali Adib, Rolls-Royce Senior Vice President, Africa.
African airlines play a vital role in liberalizing trade, creating jobs, increasing GDP and demonstrating national and continental pride. However, they face formidable challenges, chief among them the cost of aviation fuel, which exceeds global averages by up to 30%, which can be attributed to the lack of local refining capacity, unique market dynamics , taxes and customs duties and exchange rates. challenges linked to the weakening of local currencies.
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the African aviation sector has demonstrated remarkable resilience in returning to pre-pandemic levels. However, if African airlines are to continue to maintain their growth and competitiveness on the global stage, then they will need to achieve certain strategic objectives.
The industry needs the best technologies to maximize operational efficiency, defend and innovate in fuel safety and develop our human resources.
In terms of operational efficiency, Rolls-Royce has a role to play in supporting African airlines.
Our engines power half of the world’s wide-body (twin-aisle) aircraft, connecting passengers, transporting food and cargo, and providing healthcare and humanitarian assistance. The most technologically advanced members of the Rolls-Royce engine family are the Trent 7000, which powers the Airbus A330neo, the Trent XWB, which powers the Airbus A350 and, of course, the Trent 1000, designed for the 787 of Boeing.
This engine family has continually evolved over the past 30 years. Since the first Trent engine took flight, Rolls-Royce has focused on improving the engine’s performance and reliability, introducing new manufacturing methods, materials, aerodynamics and advanced digital technologies. Just recently, Rolls-Royce committed £1 billion to a program that will improve and advance not only new engines entering the market, but also engines already in service. With this new billion euro investment in new technologies, our existing customers will benefit from improved availability, reliability and energy efficiency.
Today, a Rolls-Royce Trent XWB aircraft engine consumes 15 percent less fuel than the first generation of Trent engines, contributing to savings of approximately $6.4 million per aircraft per year.
These savings may be even greater in Africa due to the higher cost of jet fuel.
When it comes to fuel innovation and safety, there are opportunities for Africa in the global transition to cleaner and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), which will need to be produced locally to be truly sustainable. This alternative African fuel would bring immediate benefits in terms of emissions and long-term energy security. But the challenge is producing SAF on a large scale.
In addition to the well-documented benefits of SAF as a key factor in reducing aviation carbon emissions by up to 80%.
The subject of SAF will become increasingly important since, from 2025, all airlines flying to the European Union will have to use a 2% SAF blend, which will gradually increase to 6% in 2030, 20% by 2035, 34% by 2040 and 70% by 2050. This decision gave rise to the EU’s recently created 320 billion euro Global Gateway investment program for Africa, of which half will be dedicated to developing Africa’s SAF capabilities.
Rolls-Royce has actively supported work to support 100% adoption of SAF and our role has been to demonstrate that there are no technological barriers to its use at engine level. That’s why we recently finalized our commitment to ensuring that all of our civil aircraft engines in production are 100% SAF compatible – a commitment backed by a series of tests on the ground and in the air. We were also pleased to support Virgin Atlantic, which operated the first ever 100% SAF transatlantic flight from London to New York late last year, powered by Trent 1000 engines.
SAF can be made from waste cooking oils and biofuels produced from agricultural waste or from growing staple crops on marginal land unsuitable for food crops – a whole new sector of agriculture. The benefits of a regional SAF supply chain include increased energy security, reduced volatility in jet fuel supply and prices, lower foreign exchange exposure, and opportunities for economic development through local investment and business creation. jobs.
Choosing the right aerospace technology that continues to advance and evolve while in service simultaneously reduces operating costs, supports our growing economy, and strengthens our transition to local, higher-performance fuel.
Africa has more than 24% of the world’s agricultural land and 60% of the planet’s uncultivated arable land. Thanks to the partnerships forged between government and the private sector in East Africa, we are pleased to see that the seeds are already being sown to develop a world-leading biofuel sector.
Distributed by APO Group for LCH Consultancy&Associates.
About the Author:
Omar Ali Adib is Senior Vice President – Middle East, Africa and Central Asia for the Rolls-Royce Civil Aerospace division and is responsible for all aspects of customer relations in the region.
