Emirates has recently received sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) from Shell Aviation at London Heathrow Airport. This SAF will be blended with conventional jet fuel and supplied into the fuelling infrastructure network at the airport until the end of summer 2024. This marks the first time that Emirates will be using SAF to power some of its flights at London Heathrow, representing the largest volume of SAF purchased to date by the airline. Emirates is participating in London Heathrow’s SAF Incentive Programme, which ensures the affordability and accessibility of SAF for airlines operating at the airport.
Emirates will be closely monitoring the delivery of SAF at London Heathrow and tracking its sustainability attributes through robust reporting methodologies. The SAF purchased from Shell Aviation will be dropped into the existing airport fuelling infrastructure and aircraft jet engines. In its neat form, SAF can reduce lifecycle carbon emissions by up to 80% compared to conventional jet fuel. Adel Al Redha, Deputy President and Chief Operations Officer of Emirates Airline, expressed the airline’s eagerness to further its SAF journey with Shell Aviation and London Heathrow.
Emirates is committed to exploring opportunities to use SAF operationally wherever it is available in the airline’s network. The airline also plans to share emissions costs with corporate customers or freight forwarders where possible and collaborate on longer-term SAF projects with reputable partners. Additionally, Emirates aims to support SAF ventures in the UAE with the potential to supply Sustainable Aviation Fuel at its hub. The airline is also working on reducing emissions through optimizing flight operations, weight reduction of aircraft, and charting more efficient flight routes.
London Heathrow’s SAF scheme, launched in 2022, provides support to reduce the premium price gap between conventional jet fuel and SAF by approximately 50%. This initiative aims to accelerate supportive government policies to increase the UK’s competitiveness by unlocking investments in clean energy like SAF production. Ross Baker, Chief Commercial Officer of Heathrow, highlighted the importance of SAF in decarbonizing long-haul flights and emphasized the need to ramp up SAF production in the UK to benefit from jobs, growth, and energy security.
Emirates has been actively exploring opportunities to use SAF in its operations, collaborating with partners like Shell Aviation to supply SAF at various locations. The airline recently joined the Solent Cluster in the UK, which focuses on low-carbon investments and aims to create a Sustainable Aviation Fuel plant capable of producing up to 200,000 tonnes per year by 2032. This initiative involves a cross-sector collaboration of international organizations, manufacturers, regional businesses, logistics operators, and academic institutions. Emirates is dedicated to reducing its carbon footprint through the use of sustainable aviation fuels and other emissions reduction strategies.
