Emirates and Shell Aviation have reached an agreement for the supply of over 300,000 gallons of blended SAF for use at the airline’s international hub in Dubai (DXB).
The first delivery under the agreement is expected to commence before year-end, making it the first time that SAF is supplied through the DXB airport fueling system.
As part of the agreement, Emirates will track SAF delivery and its use data through blockchain-powered book-and-claim solution Avelia. The airline will purchase the physical SAF and associated environmental attributes to help decarbonise its Scope 1-related emissions through Avelia, whilst Scope 3 environmental attributes associated to the same physical SAF will be purchased by Shell Corporate Travel to help decarbonise its related business travel.
Whilst the new service will be initially available for corporate travel, it marks an important ‘milestone’ in the introduction of alternate jet fuel into the UAE.
Tim Clark, president of Emirates, hopes this collaboration will pave the way for the future supply of SAF in Dubai and the United Arab Emirates where there are currently no production facilities available.
“Aviation plays a vital role in Dubai and the wider UAE economy, and we look forward to continue collaborating with like-minded organisations and government entities to look at viable solutions that introduce more SAF, a fuel that is currently extremely limited in supply, into the aviation fuel supply chain and support Emirates’ efforts to reduce emissions across our operations.”
Avelia is powered by Shell Aviation and Accenture, with support from Energy Web together with American Express Global business travel.
Emirates said the agreement is the latest step in its environmental strategy that focuses on three areas: emissions reduction, responsible consumption, and the conservation of wildlife and habitats.
Earlier this year, the airline successfully completed the first fully (100 percent) SAF-powered demonstration flight in the region. It has also uplifted SAF for flights from Stockholm, and currently operates flights from Paris, Lyon and Oslo with blended SAF.
