DHL Express and Shell have signed a first-of-its-kind one-year deal to take sustainable air freight operations at Brussels Airport to the next level. Under the partnership, 25,000 metric tons (kt) of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) will be delivered via pipeline to the airport, an important step in reducing the environmental footprint of aviation logistics.
It represents an important step forward in both companies’ shared goals of advocating for sustainable practices in the aviation industry, which allows businesses to reduce their carbon footprint significantly while helping with the transition toward a more sustainable global economy.
Sustainable Aviation Fuel to Power Air Freight Operations
In return, Shell will utilize its supplied SAF in the air freight service operated by DHL at Brussels Airport. The ISCC certified fuel is derived from residues and waste materials from industry, which are refined through renewable feedstocks.That’s the only way that they do not emit the combustion process of fossil fuels without their emissions.
The SAF will be supplied directly by pipeline to the airport to ensure efficient and streamlined fueling of DHL’s aerial operations. It is estimated that there will be a remarkable reduction of about 80,000 metric tons (kt) of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) of greenhouse gas emissions when it is used as compared to traditional fossil jet fuel. This cut is part of the companies’ approach to reduce carbon footprint so that they may meet the global sustainability targets and combat growing concerns about climate change.
Support DHL’s Green Goals
DHL has always been striving to take a leap for sustainability and now with its new deal with Shell, forms a major part of the larger vision. “This new agreement marks a key milestone in the achievement of our green goals as well as having a very positive effect on DHL’s customers,” Travis Cobb Executive Vice President of Global Network Operations and Aviation, DHL Express said.
“We are constantly working to expand the use of SAF across our network, and this partnership with Shell at Brussels Airport is an important milestone in our journey,” said Cobb. “Besides the operational benefits of efficiency improvements, SAF is currently the most impactful way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the aviation sector. Through our GoGreen Plus service, our customers can directly benefit from using SAF in their logistics supply chains, actively reducing their Scope 3 emissions.
DHL’s GoGreen Plus service, which will use the SAF supplied under this agreement, provides a unique opportunity for customers to contribute to sustainability efforts. In this way, businesses will be able to reduce Scope 3 emissions—those caused by their supply chain—by applying insetting instead of offsetting.Insetting provides the business opportunity to reduce emissions within the own supply chain, meaning the control of the impacts from its operations. This way, the organizations will monitor and document reductions in emissions as they focus on sustainability targets and handle increasingly large demands for a greener business model.
Sustainable Aviation Futures
The DHL and Shell partnership highlights both companies’ commitment to enable a net-zero future and to support sustainable aviation.According to Raman Ojha, President of Shell Aviation, this collaboration will have long-term impacts not only in terms of emission reductions but also on the adoption of low-carbon solutions in the entire industry.
“Our cooperation with DHL at Brussels Airport represents another significant step toward lowering aviation emission reduction from air freight and progressing sustainability throughout the entire chain of the aviation industry. By providing SAF, we are equipping the sector—and our customers—whereby they can work in order to transition toward more low-carbon solutions toward more sustainable aviation. This will be in line with reaching this shared ambition of achieving mid-century net-zero emissions.
Shell has been at the forefront of the development and promotion of SAF, and the DHL deal is another example of how the company is continuing to lead the charge in decarbonizing the aviation industry. Through its partnership with DHL, Shell is not only helping reduce emissions in the aviation sector but also equipping businesses with the tools they need to meet their own sustainability targets.
A strategic step towards net-zero logistics
The collaboration between DHL and Shell is part of a broader strategy for the company to reduce its logistics-related emissions. The company has set an ambitious goal to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, which will require concerted effort across its entire global network. A major part of this strategy is the increased use of SAF, which will play a key role in reducing the carbon footprint of air freight operations.
The GoGreen Plus service, therefore, which integrates SAF, represents a pivotal component of DHL’s strategic goal to eventually use 30% of all its air transportation fuel through 2030 to be derived from SAF. To that effect, DHL is becoming a more environmental-friendly enterprise by incorporating ever more renewable fuel sources and is inspiring businesses to achieve the same.
The SAF agreement with Shell is a significant milestone in DHL’s efforts to decarbonize the aviation sector. DHL is directly contributing to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by using SAF in its air freight operations, while offering customers a practical way to improve the environmental performance of their supply chains.
A Long-Term Vision for Sustainable Logistics
In this urgent call for the reduction of carbon emissions and mitigation of climate change, partnerships like DHL and Shell’s become even more important. For an industry that has long been a source of emissions, the aviation sector has a solution in the form of SAF, which is viable and sustainable. This working partnership between DHL and Shell shows the power of collaboration in developing sustainable practice that reduces emissions but propels innovation in the logistics and aviation industries.
The use of SAF at Brussels Airport is the starting point in what should be an increasing effort toward incorporating more environmentally friendly solutions in the logistics of global air freight operations. DHL and Shell’s move to adopt green fuel is going to act as a trendsetter among their peers as well because these companies are on a hunt for reducing their environmental impact and are well within their sustainability targets.
Ultimately, this agreement between DHL and Shell is a vital step in the transition towards sustainable aviation. It is part of the broader effort to achieve a net-zero future for the logistics sector, providing businesses with the tools they need to contribute to a more sustainable world. Through continued collaboration and innovation, DHL, Shell, and their customers are paving the way for a greener, more sustainable future for air freight and beyond.