DHL Express and Cosmo Oil Collaborate on First SAF-Powered Cargo Service in Japan, Marking a Milestone for Emission Reduction

DHL Express and Cosmo Oil Collaborate on First SAF-Powered Cargo Service in Japan, Marking a Milestone for Emission Reduction

(IN BRIEF) DHL Express has signed a landmark deal with Cosmo Oil Marketing Co. Ltd. to purchase 7.2 million liters of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) annually, set to begin in April 2025. This move will mark the first SAF-powered cargo service in Asia for DHL and signifies a major step in the logistics industry’s efforts to reduce emissions. The SAF, produced by Saffaire Sky Energy LLC, will be supplied to DHL’s operations at Nagoya Airport in Japan, enabling the company to cut its environmental impact in the region. This deal is part of DHL’s broader sustainability initiative, which includes the GoGreen Plus service launched in 2022, aimed at helping customers reduce their Scope 3 emissions. DHL is committed to achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 and expanding its use of SAF globally.

(PRESS RELEASE) BONN, 29-Jan-2025 — /EuropaWire/ — DHL Express, Cosmo Oil Marketing Co. Ltd., Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), emission-reduced air freight, Japan, international express industry, Saffaire Sky Energy LLC, Cosmo Energy Holdings Co., Ltd., Tony Khan, Koji Moriyama, GoGreen Plus, Scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions, BP, Neste, World Energy, Central Japan International Airport, Nagoya Airport, environmental impact, decarbonization, net-zero greenhouse gas emissions, electrification of delivery vehicles

DHL Express has signed a significant agreement with Cosmo Oil Marketing Co. Ltd. to purchase 7.2 million liters of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) annually, starting in April 2025. This move will support DHL’s efforts to reduce emissions from its air freight operations in Japan and marks a historic first for the international express industry in Asia. The SAF will be produced locally in Japan by Saffaire Sky Energy LLC, a subsidiary of Cosmo Energy Holdings Co., Ltd. and will be supplied to DHL’s operations at Nagoya Airport, the first in Asia to handle SAF for the company. DHL has long been a proponent of sustainability, having launched its GoGreen Plus service in 2022, allowing customers to offset Scope 3 emissions through SAF. The company is committed to reaching net-zero emissions by 2050 and aims to lead the logistics sector in sustainability efforts. The partnership is a major step towards reducing the environmental impact of air transport while ensuring transparency in SAF’s environmental benefits.

About the SAF procurement contract

This agreement marks a major contract for SAF produced in Japan by Saffaire Sky Energy LLC, a subsidiary of Cosmo Energy Holdings Co., Ltd.  The company will produce SAF  at its mass production facility, scheduled to begin operations in 2025. With this deal, DHL Express will secure a stable SAF supply and accelerate efforts to promote sustainable air cargo transport in Japan.

Tony Khan, President and Representative Director of DHL Express Japan said, “We are pleased that, through our agreement with Cosmo Oil Marketing, we will be the first international express provider in Japan to use the locally produced SAF on scheduled regular cargo flights. SAF is currently the most effective solution for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in air transport. Moving forward, as part of our responsibility to customers in Japan, we are committed to promoting emission-reduced shipping solutions and to contributing to the reduction of the transport sector’s environmental impact.”

Koji Moriyama, President, Representative Director and Chief Executive Officer of Cosmo Oil Marketing Co., Ltd. said, ” We are delighted to contribute to the decarbonization efforts of DHL Express and its customers through SAF, one of our key decarbonization products. SAF plays an essential role in the decarbonization of the aviation industry, and we are excited to be part of this important initiative.  Moving forward, we will continue to support the realization of a decarbonized society, starting with this collaboration, by promoting the use of SAF.”

DHL’s First SAF Procurement in Asia

DHL Express currently accepts SAF at airports around the world including Amsterdam Schiphol (Netherlands), Stockholm Arlanda Airport (Sweden), Brussels Airport (Belgium), East Midlands Airport (UK), Los Angeles International Airport (US), Leipzig Airport (Germany), Miami International Airport (US), San Francisco International Airport (US), and Stansted Airport (UK). The SAF fuel procured under this agreement will be delivered to Central Japan International Airport (Nagoya Airport), which will be the first airport to take SAF in Asia among more than 500 airports used in the DHL Express global network.

Delivering SAF’s Environmental Value to Customers Around the World

DHL Express has been offering GoGreen Plus, the industry’s first international shipping service that enables customers to reduce (in-set) their Scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions using SAF, since 2022. The SAF used in GoGreen Plus is procured based on some of the industry’s largest-scale contracts, such as the agreements that DHL Express has concluded with BP (UK) and Neste (Finland) in 2022, and with World Energy (US) in 2023. With Cosmo Oil Marketing Co., Ltd. in Japan now joining the SAF procurement network for DHL’s air network, an additional pioneering step of this deal is that the SAF environmental attributes will be transferred via the International Sustainability & Carbon Certification Credit Transfer System for Sustainable Aviation Fuels. This will ensure credible and transparent environmental claims along the value chain, from Cosmo Energy Group as the SAF producer, to DHL as the airline using the fuel and from there to DHL customers using the GoGreen Plus emission-reduced transport service.

One of the features of GoGreen Plus is that, with the book-and-claim system, GoGreen Plus users around the world can realize the benefits of SAF regardless of where it is procured or which aircraft it is loaded onto.

Leading the Logistics Industry in Addressing Environmental Challenges

DHL is committed to achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 through its decarbonization measures. This includes the electrification of delivery vehicles worldwide, the use of SAF in its aviation network and operation of carbon-neutral facilities in addition to the promotion of its GoGreen Plus service.

DHL – The logistics company for the world

DHL is the leading global brand in the logistics industry. Our DHL divisions offer an unrivalled portfolio of logistics services ranging from national and international parcel delivery, e-commerce shipping and fulfillment solutions, international express, road, air and ocean transport to industrial supply chain management. With about 395,000 employees in more than 220 countries and territories worldwide, DHL connects people and businesses securely and reliably, enabling global sustainable trade flows.

With specialized solutions for growth markets and industries including technology, life sciences and healthcare, engineering, manufacturing & energy, auto-mobility and retail, DHL is decisively positioned as “The logistics company for the world”.

DHL is part of DHL Group. The Group generated revenues of more than 81.8 billion euros in 2023. With sustainable business practices and a commitment to society and the environment, the Group makes a positive contribution to the world. DHL Group aims to achieve net-zero emissions logistics by 2050.

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SOURCE: DHL Group