DHL Express has entered into a major agreement with Neste to secure 9.5 million litres, equivalent to 7,400 metric tons, of Neste MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel™ (SAF) from July 2025 to June 2026. The fuel will be produced at Neste’s Singapore refinery, the world’s largest SAF production facility, and deployed on DHL’s intercontinental Boeing 777 freighters operating from Changi Airport.
Christopher Ong, Managing Director for DHL Express Singapore, described the partnership as a critical step in advancing emissions reduction for air transport. “This partnership with Neste to procure and uplift SAF for DHL Express’ international air cargo flights from Singapore is a significant milestone for us,” he said. “Not only will it enable us to gain 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.”
Under the terms of the deal, SAF will comprise between 35 and 40 per cent of the total fuel consumption for DHL’s five aircraft based at Changi, which undertake 12 weekly departures to destinations across Asia and the Americas. This marks DHL’s first SAF procurement for international flights departing Singapore.
Neste will supply the SAF blended with conventional jet fuel through Changi Airport’s fuel distribution network, leveraging its integrated supply chain. Compared to fossil jet fuel, Neste’s SAF delivers an approximate 80 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions over its lifecycle.
Carl Nyberg, Senior Vice President Commercial, Renewable Products at Neste, highlighted the significance of expanding the collaboration. “We are excited to expand our cooperation with DHL to Singapore, a leading aviation hub in Asia Pacific,” he said. “It demonstrates how we are working together with DHL globally to help the company achieve its air transportation decarbonisation targets using a solution that is available at scale today.”
This strategic move aligns with Singapore’s Green Plan 2030 and supports the national objective of achieving a 1 per cent SAF usage across all flights—cargo and passenger—by 2026.
DHL Express is already among the largest global users of SAF, operating sustainable flights through key hubs in Amsterdam, Stockholm, Brussels, East Midlands, Los Angeles, Leipzig, Miami, San Francisco, Stansted and Nagoya. In 2022, the company introduced GoGreen Plus, a pioneering service enabling customers to address Scope 3 emissions through SAF, using a book-and-claim model that drives measurable decarbonisation benefits across the value chain.
In Singapore, DHL has also taken significant steps towards sustainability on the ground by converting its last-mile delivery fleet to electric vehicles, now the largest commercial EV van fleet in the country with 100 vehicles.
As part of DHL Group’s Strategy 2030, “New Energy” has been identified as a key growth pillar, with the Group developing end-to-end logistics solutions for the sustainable energy sector including wind, solar, EV batteries, charging infrastructure, energy storage systems, alternative fuels and hydrogen.
-ESG News
