Middle East carrier Emirates has struck a major deal with Neste to supply sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) during 2024 and 2025.
It marks the latest move by the Dubai-based carrier to secure SAF, after it last month reached an agreement with energy firm Shell Aviation covering the supply of blended sustainable aviation fuel at its Dubai hub.
Under the agreement with Neste, Emirates is taking SAF blended with jet fuel for flights departing Amsterdam Schiphol and Singapore Changi airports. Neste this year opened a major new SAF production facility in Singapore.
Emirates is taking 3,000,000 gal of fuel, with a blended ratio of over 30% of neat SAF. The airline says it marks the largest volume of SAF to be uplifted by a Middle East airline to date.
Emirates Airline president Tim Clark says: ”Today’s announcement is a milestone for Emirates and represents the acceleration of SAF procurement for our operations. It’s also one of the many initiatives we are focused on to reduce our carbon emissions.
”Our ongoing partnership with Neste also demonstrates our active engagement and support of the rapidly developing SAF industry, and we hope that the robust demand coming from Emirates and other airlines encourages the scaling up of SAF and other emerging clean propulsion technologies.”
It is the latest in a series of sustainable aviation and renewable energy initiatives announced by the UAE over the past year – including a national SAF roadmap launched in January – and comes ahead of Dubai hosting next month’s UN COP28 Climate Change Conference.
