Emirates and Shell close SAF supply contract: The UAE’s national carrier, Emirates, has inked an agreement with Shell Aviation for a 300k gallon supply of blended sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) for use at its hub in Dubai International Airport (DXB), according to a press release. The agreement will see the first SAF delivery taking place before year’s end, marking the first time SAF will be supplied via the airport’s fuelling system, the statement said. No financial details pertaining to the agreement were disclosed.

Details: Under the agreement, Emirates will buy the SAF and associated environmental attributes to help decarbonize its Scope 1 (pdf) related emissions. Scope 3 environmental attributes tied to the same physical SAF will be purchased by Shell Corporate Travel to contribute to decarbonizing its own business trips, the statement adds. The airline will track SAF delivery through Shell-backed, blockchain-powered platform Avelia.

Emirates is working to decarbonize operations: The agreement comes as part of Emirates’ environmental strategy, which aims to reduce emissions, and focuses on responsible consumption and wildlife conservation.

What they said: “We hope that this collaboration develops further to provide an ongoing future supply of SAF in our hub, as there are currently no production facilities for SAF in the UAE,” Emirates President Tim Clark said. “We hope that this can act as a springboard for more action on SAF across the aviation industry in the UAE and region, delivering another step forward for our net zero emissions journey,” Shell Corporate Travel vice president Chu Yong-Yi also said.

SAF has been gaining traction in the region: April saw Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala Capital-backed Acelen announce investments up to USD 2.4 bn over the next 10 years to produce green diesel and sustainable aviation fuel in Brazil. Qatar Airways also inked an agreement with Shell to source 3k metric tons of sustainable aviation fuel at Amsterdam Schiphol airport. Meanwhile, the Egyptian Company for Solid Waste Recycling (ECARU), Qalaa Holdings, and France’s Axens signed a cooperation protocol in July to conduct technical and economic studies for a second-generation biofuel and SAF production project.