DHL Express, Phillips 66 announce sustainable aviation fuel agreement

DHL Express, Germany, has announced a sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) agreement with Houston-based Phillips 66, an integrated downstream energy provider and SAF producer.

This agreement will see the delivery of more than 240,000 metric tons of SAF over a three-year period, aimed at reducing lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 737,000 metric tons compared to conventional jet fuel, DHL says.

The majority of the SAF will be delivered to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), DHL’s U.S. West Coast Gateway, with future intended deliveries to other West Coast airports where DHL maintains operations, including San Francisco International Airport (SFO). The SAF will be produced at Phillips 66’s Rodeo Renewable Energy Complex in California, with a production capacity of 150 million gallons per year of neat SAF.

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“This agreement with Phillips 66 is a significant milestone for DHL Express as we work towards our sustainability goals,” says Travis Cobb, executive vice president of operations and aviation at DHL Express. “By securing a reliable supply of SAF, we are not only reducing our carbon emissions, and those within our customers’ supply chains, but also setting a precedent for the logistics and air cargo industries in the U.S. Our collaboration with Phillips 66 underscores our commitment to a lower-carbon future and demonstrates the importance of sustainable practices in our operations.”

“This agreement between Phillips 66 and DHL demonstrates our shared commitment to SAF market leadership and credible action in the growing SAF industry,” says Brian Mandell, executive vice president of marketing and commercial at Phillips 66. “Through our global renewable fuel business, we are committed to supporting DHL and our customers in achieving their decarbonization goals. Our agreement with DHL showcases cross-industry collaboration, and together, we aim to drive progress toward sustainable solutions in the aviation sector.”

DHL Express has been actively securing SAF partnerships worldwide including in the Europe, America and Asia Pacific regions since 2021. This agreement will contribute to DHL’s GoGreen Plus service, which enables customers to reduce their Scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions using SAF.