Emirates has entered into an agreement with Shell Aviation to receive over 300,000 gallons of blended Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) for use at its international hub in Dubai (DXB).
Emirates, one of the world’s largest airlines has entered into an agreement with Shell Aviation to receive over 300,000 gallons of blended Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) for use at its international hub in Dubai (DXB). This landmark agreement marks the first time that SAF will be supplied through the DXB airport fuelling system. Emirates’ commitment to environmental sustainability is evident through this partnership, aligning with its broader environmental strategy focused on emissions reduction, responsible consumption, and conservation of wildlife and habitats.
SAF is regarded as a crucial component in reducing the aviation industry’s carbon footprint. It is a drop-in fuel that can be blended with conventional jet fuel at ratios of up to 50%, significantly lowering the lifecycle carbon emissions of aviation fuel. In its pure form, SAF can reduce lifecycle emissions by up to 80% compared to conventional jet fuel.
Sir Tim Clark, President Emirates Airline, said “We are proud to work in partnership with Shell to make a SAF supply available for Emirates in Dubai for the first time, and to utilise the Avelia platform that provides business travellers the flexibility to align their sustainability targets and reduce their environmental footprint when travelling. We hope that this collaboration develops further to provide an ongoing future supply of SAF in our hub, as there are currently no production facilities for SAF in the UAE. Aviation plays a vital role in Dubai and the wider UAE economy, and we look forward to continue collaborating with like-minded organisations and government entities to look at viable solutions that introduce more SAF, a fuel that is currently extremely limited in supply, into the aviation fuel supply chain and support Emirates’ efforts to reduce emissions across our operations.”
Key points of the agreement include:
1. SAF Supply: Shell Aviation will supply Emirates with over 300,000 gallons of blended SAF. The first delivery is expected to commence by the end of the year. This marks a significant milestone as it’s the first time SAF will be supplied through DXB’s airport fuelling system.
2. Environmental Tracking: Emirates will track SAF delivery and usage data through Avelia, one of the world’s first blockchain-powered SAF solutions. Avelia, powered by Shell Aviation and Accenture, supported by Energy Web and American Express Global Business Travel, will enable Emirates to purchase the physical SAF and associated environmental attributes to reduce Scope 1 emissions. Shell Corporate Travel will purchase Scope 3 environmental attributes associated with the same SAF to decarbonize its related business travel.
3. Shared Environmental Benefits: The agreement demonstrates how “book and claim” solutions can enable both airlines and corporates to share the environmental benefits of SAF, thus contributing to their sustainability targets.
4. Significance: This partnership is particularly significant because there are currently no SAF production facilities in the UAE. By collaborating with Shell, Emirates is taking a step towards reducing emissions across its operations and working towards a more sustainable aviation industry.
Chu Yong-Yi, Vice President, Shell Corporate Travel said, “Emirates and Shell have a long-standing commercial relationship, and it is fantastic to build on this to now work together on decarbonisation. This agreement marks a step forward for the aviation industry in the UAE. Enabling SAF to be supplied at DXB for the first time is an important milestone, and a perfect example of how the different parts of the aviation value chain have a role to play in unlocking progress on SAF. We hope that this can act as a springboard for more action on SAF across the aviation industry in the UAE and region, delivering another step forward for our net zero emissions journey.”
Emirates has been actively exploring the use of SAF in its operations. Earlier this year, the airline completed its first 100% SAF-powered demonstration flight in the region. It has also operated flights using blended SAF from various locations, such as Chicago, Stockholm, Paris, Lyon, and Oslo.
Emirates is engaged in various industry and government initiatives aimed at scaling up the production and supply of SAF. The airline has contributed to the development of the UAE’s Power-to-Liquid (PtL) fuels roadmap, which aims to promote sustainable aviation fuels. Additionally, Emirates actively participates in the UAE’s National Sustainable Aviation Fuel Roadmap, furthering its commitment to sustainability.
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This partnership between Emirates and Shell Aviation represents a significant step forward in advancing the adoption of SAF in the aviation industry, supporting the sector’s efforts to reduce its carbon emissions and transition towards more sustainable operations.
