Invasive Alien Plant species (IAP) are plant species that are bought into an environment outside of their natural environment. They then spread uncontrollably, leading to an invasion of the habitat (IUCN, 2021). These species are non-native to an ecosystem and can negatively impact ecosystem services, threaten biodiversity, reduce surface water runoff and increase fire hazards. South Africa has more than 750 alien tree species and 161 of these species are regarded as invasive, and the greater majority of these are woody plant species (Nyoka, 2003).

The Working for Water (WfW) programme managed by the Department of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment is one of the national programmes which aim to create employment through the clearing of IAP. The programme started in 1995 and has cleared more than one million hectares of invasive alien plants, it has also created jobs for approximately 20 000 people (WFW programme). The woody biomass generated from clearing the IAPs can be used for different biomass beneficiation programmes. There are opportunities for this biomass to be utilised in various business industries such as the manufacturing of wood products, chipping, woodfuels, and bioenergy products such as electricity and fuels.

The province of Kwa-Zulu Natal (KZN) in South Africa is a region that has experienced significant increases in biological invasions. During the course of the programme, Working for Water has cleared 70380 ha of land in KZN alone. The majority of the woody alien species occur in the following districts: Umgungundlovu, Uthukela, Zululand, and Uthungulu. The province has a high unemployment rate which was  26.9 percent in the third quarter of 2020 (StatsSA,2020). The statistics also showed that in 2019 approximately 38 percent of the KZN population was still living below the Food Poverty Line(StatsSA,2020). The province is in an advantageous position to use the woody IAPs biomass to produce biofuels such as jet fuel. This will create new job opportunities and support socio-economic development for KZN.

Globally, the aviation industry produced 2.4 percent of total CO2 emissions in 2018 (Graver et al, 2019). The aviation industry is considering alternative cleaner energy options to support air transport. Biojet fuel can be produced using woody biomass from IAPs. Biojet fuel will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and the dependency on petroleum for fuel.

This case study is a retrospective study investigating the potential for utilising biomass derived from IAPs for beneficiation within KZN. It presents an analysis of available biomass feedstock from IAPs in KZN and further discusses the feasible technology options which can be utilised to convert woody biomass into Biojet fuel. The techno-economic feasibility analysis for this case study comprised of determining optimal locations in Kwa-Zulu Natal province to place bioenergy production facilities. A range of different process technologies were assessed, with outputs varying from Jet fuel to Biomass Pellets and wood chips. The allocation of the facility is based on the distribution and volumes of available feedstock.