• DHL Express will purchase about 2 million U.S. gallons of sustainable aviation fuel from Moeve between July 2026 and June 2027.
• The SAF volume is expected to cover about 50% of DHL Express’ fuel consumption at its Madrid air gateway.
• Moeve plans to add 500,000 tonnes of SAF capacity in Huelva as DHL targets more than 30% SAF use in air transport by 2030.

DHL Express has signed a one-year sustainable aviation fuel offtake agreement with Moeve covering operations at Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport.

The logistics group will purchase approximately 2 million U.S. gallons, or around 6,000 metric tons, of SAF. Deliveries will run from July 2026 through June 2027.

The volume is expected to cover about half of DHL Express’ fuel consumption at its Madrid gateway. The deal expands the company’s use of lower-carbon aviation fuel at one of its main European logistics hubs.

Madrid connects DHL Express shipments across domestic, European and international routes. As a result, increasing SAF use there could reduce emissions across a significant portion of its regional air freight activity.

SAF targets move into procurement

The fuel supplied by Moeve will come from waste and residue feedstocks covered by Annex IX Parts A and B of the EU Renewable Energy Directive. Eligible materials include used cooking oil.

According to the companies, SAF produced from these feedstocks can deliver lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions reductions of around 80% compared with conventional jet fuel.

That reduction potential has made SAF a central part of aviation decarbonization strategies. Airlines and logistics companies have limited near-term alternatives for reducing emissions from long-haul aircraft.

“Sustainable aviation fuel is one of the most effective levers currently available to reduce emissions from air freight transportation. This agreement with Moeve enables us to significantly increase the use of SAF at one of our key European gateways and demonstrates how collaboration across the aviation value chain can accelerate the transition to lower-emission logistics. By securing SAF volumes equivalent to around half of our fuel consumption in Madrid, we are making meaningful progress toward our goal of increasing SAF use to 30 percent by 2030,” emphasized Tomás Holgado, vice president Aviation, DHL Express Spain.

DHL Group has committed to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. It also aims to increase SAF’s share of its air transport fuel mix to more than 30% by 2030.

Moeve expands European SAF capacity

For Moeve, the agreement provides additional demand as it expands its second-generation biofuels business.

The company says its existing production capacity has reached 1.1 million tonnes annually. A planned SAF facility in Huelva is expected to add another 500,000 tonnes of capacity.

“This agreement with DHL Express marks another step forward in our strategy to accelerate the decarbonization of air transport through readily available and scalable solutions such as sustainable aviation fuels. Moeve has a firm commitment to becoming a leading European producer of second-generation biofuels, with production capacity already reaching 1.1 million tonnes per year. This capacity will grow significantly with the launch next year of our new SAF plant in Huelva, adding a further 500,000 tonnes. Partnerships such as this demonstrate that the energy transition moves faster when producers and customers work together to reduce emissions in sectors that are difficult to electrify, like aviation.”
Álvaro Macarro, director of Aviation, Moeve.

The agreement also fits within a tightening European policy environment. EU rules are pushing aviation fuel suppliers and operators toward greater use of lower-carbon fuels, strengthening long-term demand for compliant SAF.

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Scope 3 benefits reach DHL customers

DHL plans to incorporate the SAF volumes into its GoGreen Plus service, which allows customers to reduce transportation-related emissions through sustainable fuels.

The service uses a verified book-and-claim mechanism. DHL can replace fossil jet fuel with SAF elsewhere in its network and allocate the resulting environmental attributes to participating customers.

This structure matters for companies tracking Scope 3 emissions from transportation and distribution. Customers can claim reductions without requiring their individual shipment to travel on an aircraft directly fueled with SAF.

For corporate buyers, the model links logistics procurement with emissions reporting and climate targets. It also creates a commercial route for companies to help finance SAF demand beyond their own direct operations.

The Madrid agreement therefore carries implications beyond a single airport. It connects European fuel production, logistics procurement and corporate Scope 3 strategies within an emerging SAF market that remains constrained by cost and supply.

As more European capacity comes online, agreements such as DHL’s will test whether long-term corporate demand can help move SAF from limited deployments toward broader commercial adoption.