DHL Express and energy company Moeve have signed a sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) offtake agreement covering operations at Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport. Under the terms of the one-year deal, running from July 2026 to June 2027, DHL Express will purchase approximately 2 million US gallons (around 6,000 metric tonnes) of SAF. The agreed volume is expected to supply around 50 per cent of the logistics provider’s fuel consumption at its Madrid gateway, delivering a significant reduction in air transport emissions across Spain.
The supplied fuel is derived from waste and residue feedstocks listed in Annex IX parts A and B of the EU Renewable Energy Directive, such as used cooking oil. Compared to standard jet fuel, SAF reduces lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions by around 80 per cent, offering an immediate decarbonisation solution for the aviation sector.
Tomás Holgado, Vice President of Aviation at DHL Express Spain, stated that SAF represents one of the most effective tools for cutting air freight emissions, adding that securing volume for half of the firm’s Madrid operations supports its target to achieve 30 per cent SAF usage by 2030.
Álvaro Macarro, Director of Aviation at Moeve, noted that the partnership supports the decarbonisation of hard-to-abate sectors. He highlighted that Moeve currently holds an annual second-generation biofuel production capacity of 1.1 million tonnes, which will expand by a further 500,000 tonnes following the opening of a new SAF plant in Huelva next year.
DHL will integrate the environmental benefits of the SAF into its GoGreen Plus service using a verified book-and-claim framework. This enables corporate customers to offset Scope 3 emissions from their supply chains by funding the replacement of fossil jet fuel within DHL’s broader transport network. The initiative forms part of DHL Group’s long-term sustainability roadmap, which targets net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
