Dubai: Emirates partners with Shell for 300,000+ gallons of Eco-friendly aviation fuel

Emirates, the prominent airline of Dubai, has entered into a pact with Shell Aviation to receive over 300,000 gallons of blended sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). This move aligns with the aviation sector's endeavor to adopt eco-friendly fuels in light of global environmental concerns. The fuel provision will kick off before this year concludes, contributing to decreased emissions.

This milestone represents the debut of SAF being channeled through the Dubai International (DXB) airport's fueling mechanism. SAF, recognized as a safe and accredited alternative, seamlessly integrates with the current aircraft and airport frameworks. It can be merged with traditional jet fuel in a proportion reaching 50%, producing energy with notably diminished carbon footprints throughout its lifecycle. When used purely, SAF has the potential to slash lifecycle emissions by a whopping 80% compared to its standard counterpart.

Emirates' president, Sir Tim Clark, expressed optimism that this budding partnership would extend, ensuring a constant SAF supply at the airline's central hub, especially since there aren't any SAF production units in the UAE. He emphasized, "Given aviation's pivotal role in Dubai and the broader UAE economy, we're eager to keep joining forces with aligned entities and governmental bodies. We aim to unearth feasible methods to integrate more SAF—currently scarce—into the aviation fuel supply chain, reinforcing Emirates' dedication to curbing emissions."

In a pioneering move, Emirates powered one of its Boeing 777-300ER engines entirely with SAF during a test flight in January 2023. The airline collaborated with industry giants such as GE Aerospace, Boeing, Honeywell, Neste, and Virent to source and formulate an SAF blend mirroring traditional jet fuel attributes.

Shell Corporate Travel's vice president, Chu Yong-Yi, articulated, "Introducing SAF to DXB is a significant leap, underscoring the collective responsibility within the aviation sector to bolster SAF adoption. We're hopeful this initiative will pave the way for broader SAF integration in the UAE's aviation sphere, propelling us closer to our net-zero emissions goal."

Under the agreement's terms, Emirates will monitor the delivery and utilization of SAF via Avelia, a blockchain-fueled SAF tracking system.