DHL Express has signed a deal with sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) provider Neste for an estimated 9,500,000 liters (7,400 metric tons) of Neste MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel in Singapore, making this one of the largest SAF deals for air cargo in Asia in terms of volume.
Under the contract, Neste will supply DHL Express with CORSIA-eligible SAF produced locally at its refinery in Singapore, the world’s largest SAF production facility, from July 2025 to June 2026. The SAF will account for 35-40% of the overall fuel use of DHL Express’ five Boeing 777 freighters based at the South Asia Hub at Singapore Changi Airport. This is DHL’s first direct procurement of SAF for its flights going out of Singapore Changi Airport.
Neste will deliver the SAF blended with conventional jet fuel into Singapore Changi Airport’s fuel distribution facilities, using the company’s integrated supply chain from the Singapore refinery.
Christopher Ong, managing director of DHL Express Singapore, commented, “This partnership with Neste to procure and uplift SAF for DHL Express’s international air cargo flights from Singapore is a significant milestone for us. Not only will it enable us to make new strides in emissions reduction in air transport, but it also allows us to strengthen our commitment to customers to provide more sustainable shipping options.
“Our usage of alternative fuels such as SAF also enables us to better understand the logistics needs for moving such fuels, helping our ambitions to grow a key sector, New Energy, under Strategy 2030.”
The agreement will also contribute to Singapore’s target to reduce carbon emissions in the aviation sector through a 1% target of SAF use for all passenger and cargo flights from 2026 onward.
Carl Nyberg, senior vice president of commercial, renewable products at Neste, said, “We are excited to expand our cooperation with DHL to Singapore, a leading aviation hub in Asia-Pacific. It leverages our SAF production and supply capabilities in Singapore and demonstrates how we are working together with DHL globally to help the company achieve its air transportation decarbonization targets using a solution that is available at scale today.”
In related news, DHL announced in June it had signed a 10-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with ENBW Energie Baden-Württemberg (EnBW) for the purchase of around 80 gigawatt-hours per year of electricity from renewable sources from 2026 – enough to power 16% of DHL’s current annual electricity demand in Germany.