Danish container shipping giant AP Moller Maersk has joined forces with Lufthansa Cargo to advance decarbonisation of freight by utilising sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
This partnership will see Lufthansa Cargo utilise 400 tonnes of SAF on behalf of Maersk.
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The SAF, derived from biogenic residues like used cooking oil, is produced using the HEFA process and supplied by European providers through the Lufthansa Group.
The fuel boasts an approximately 80% lower CO2 footprint over its lifecycle compared to conventional kerosene.
As a “drop-in” fuel, it requires no modifications to existing flight operations infrastructure. However, for operational reasons, it is not feasible to refuel individual flights selectively.
The Lufthansa Group has set ambitious climate protection goals, aiming to halve its net CO2 emissions by 2030 relative to 2019 levels through reduction and compensation measures, and to achieve a CO2-neutral balance by 2050.
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By GlobalDataLufthansa Cargo CEO Ashwin Bhat said: “SAF is a key technological enabler for more sustainable flying and essential for the energy transition in aviation. With Maersk we are jointly making a valuable contribution with the new agreement.”
Maersk is set to allocate the emissions reduction from this initiative to a European airfreight customer as part of its ECO Delivery Air product.
This forms part of Maersk’s ECO Delivery range, which includes Ocean and Inland services.
Maersk is claimed to be the first company to have its net zero targets validated by the Science-Based Targets initiative (SBTi) using maritime guidance.
Maersk energy transition head Morten Bo Christiansen said: “As one of the globally largest logistics companies, Maersk aims to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040 across all modes of transport as well as other business areas like warehousing and container terminals.
“The uptake and availability of SAF in the aviation industry is still limited. Our agreement with Lufthansa Cargo enables Maersk to contribute to an increase in the uptake.”
Lufthansa Cargo announced the start of direct flights from Brussels to Chicago in April this year, aiming to connect pharmaceutical businesses.
The twice-weekly flights will stop at Brussels International to pick up cargo for Chicago O’Hare (ORD), marking the first time Belgian customers can book freight directly to the US.
