DHL Express has partnered with Cosmo Oil Marketing Co., Ltd. to purchase Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) to reduce emissions in air freight operations in Japan. The agreement entails an annual acquisition of 7.2 million liters of SAF, which DHL Express will begin using for its regular cargo shipments in April 2025. This marks the first such initiative in Asia’s international express sector.
The contract involves SAF produced in Japan by Saffaire Sky Energy LLC, a subsidiary of Cosmo Energy Holdings Co., Ltd. The SAF will be manufactured at a new production facility set to start operations in 2025. Through this deal, DHL Express will ensure a reliable supply of SAF and accelerate its efforts to promote sustainable air cargo transport in Japan.
Tony Khan, President and Representative Director of DHL Express Japan, said, “We are excited that, through our partnership with Cosmo Oil Marketing, we will become the first international express provider in Japan to use locally produced SAF on regular scheduled cargo flights. SAF is currently the most effective solution for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in air transport. Moving forward, we remain committed to offering emission-reduced shipping solutions to our customers in Japan and to contributing to the transport sector’s environmental sustainability.”
Koji Moriyama, President, Representative Director, and CEO of Cosmo Oil Marketing Co., Ltd., commented, “We are thrilled to support DHL Express and its customers in their decarbonization efforts through SAF, one of our key decarbonization products. SAF is crucial for the aviation industry’s decarbonization, and we are proud to be part of this important initiative. We will continue to promote SAF usage to help build a decarbonized society, starting with this collaboration.”
DHL’s First SAF Purchase in Asia
DHL Express currently uses SAF at several airports worldwide, including those in Amsterdam, Stockholm, Brussels, East Midlands, Los Angeles, Leipzig, Miami, San Francisco, and Stansted. The SAF obtained through this agreement will be delivered to Central Japan International Airport (Nagoya), making it the first airport in Asia to receive SAF, joining DHL’s global network of over 500 airports.
Delivering SAF’s Environmental Benefits to Customers Worldwide
Since 2022, DHL Express has offered GoGreen Plus, the first international shipping service allowing customers to offset their Scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions through SAF. The SAF used in GoGreen Plus comes from some of the largest industry contracts, such as those with BP (UK), Neste (Finland), and World Energy (US). With Cosmo Oil Marketing now part of DHL’s SAF procurement network, a unique feature of this agreement is that the SAF’s environmental credentials will be tracked through the International Sustainability & Carbon Certification (ISCC) Credit Transfer System for Sustainable Aviation Fuels. This ensures transparency and credibility in environmental claims throughout the supply chain, from producer Cosmo Energy Group to DHL as the fuel user, and ultimately to DHL customers using the GoGreen Plus service.
One key advantage of GoGreen Plus is its book-and-claim system, which allows users around the world to benefit from SAF, regardless of where it is sourced or which aircraft it is used on.
Leading the Logistics Industry in Environmental Efforts
DHL is committed to reaching net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Its decarbonization strategy includes electrifying delivery vehicles globally, using SAF in aviation operations, running carbon-neutral facilities, and promoting the GoGreen Plus service.
