DHL Express and Spanish energy company Moeve have signed a sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) offtake agreement to reduce emissions from air cargo operations at Madrid-Barajas Airport in Spain.
Under the agreement, which runs from July 2026 to June 2027, DHL Express will purchase approximately 2 million U.S. gallons, or about 6,000 metric tonnes, of SAF. The volume is expected to meet around 50% of the company’s fuel consumption at its Madrid gateway, according to Moeve Global.
The SAF supplied under the contract is produced from waste and residue feedstocks, including used cooking oil, in line with Annex IX Parts A and B of the European Union’s Renewable Energy Directive. According to the companies, the fuel can reduce lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions by up to 80% compared with conventional jet fuel.
DHL Express said the agreement represents a significant step towards its target of increasing the share of sustainable aviation fuel in its air transport operations to more than 30% by 2030.
“Sustainable aviation fuel is one of the most effective tools currently available to reduce emissions from air freight transport,” said Tomás Holgado, Vice President Aviation at DHL Express Spain. He added that the partnership would significantly expand SAF use at one of the company’s key European gateways.
Moeve said the agreement supports its strategy of expanding second-generation biofuel production to help decarbonise the aviation sector. The company currently has an annual biofuel production capacity of 1.1 million tonnes and plans to add another 500,000 tonnes when its new SAF plant in Huelva becomes operational next year.
The companies said the partnership demonstrates how collaboration between fuel producers and transport operators can accelerate emissions reductions in sectors that are difficult to electrify, such as aviation.
The SAF volumes supplied under the agreement will be integrated into DHL’s GoGreen Plus service, which enables customers to reduce transport-related emissions through a book-and-claim system that allocates the environmental benefits of SAF, even when shipments are not transported on aircraft directly fuelled with sustainable aviation fuel.
DHL Group has committed to achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 and aims to increase the use of sustainable aviation fuel to more than 30% across its air transport operations by 2030. The agreement with Moeve marks another step towards achieving those targets while supporting wider adoption of SAF across the aviation and logistics industries.
