Lufthansa Cargo and AP Moller - Maersk (Maersk) have signed an agreement to promote the decarbonisation of airfreight through the use of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). Lufthansa Cargo will use 400 t of SAF on behalf of Maersk in the remainder of 2024, which is an important contribution in the year-end business with traditionally high cargo volumes. The expected reduction of CO2 emissions corresponds to at least 1200 metric t.
Morten Bo Christiansen, Head of Energy Transition at AP Moller - Maersk, said: "Cutting greenhouse gas emissions from airfreight is one of the most challenging tasks within the decarbonisation of global logistics and supply chains. This is why we are excited to partner with Lufthansa Cargo in this important task. 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."
Ashwin Bhat, CEO of Lufthansa Cargo, 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. At the same time, more sustainable flying also requires major efforts for a modern fleet and increased efficiency in flight operations. It is only through this interplay that change can be achieved sustainably."
The SAF used by Lufthansa Cargo is produced from biogenic residues such as used cooking oil using the hydroprocessed esters and fatty acids (HEFA) process. Through the Lufthansa Group, Lufthansa Cargo offers SAF from established suppliers from Europe. Since September 2021, all Lufthansa Cargo customers have been able to have their freight transport more sustainably by choosing the Sustainable Choice add-on service.
