DHL adds Sustainable Marine Fuel option for full-container load shipments

DHL Global Forwarding has announced the introduction of Sustainable Marine Fuel (SMF) service for full-container load shipments as part of their sustainability strategy.

DHL Global Forwarding has announced the introduction of Sustainable Marine Fuel (SMF) service for full-container load shipments as part of their sustainability strategy. Following the success of the launch of a similar service for Less-than-Container Load (LCL) shipments, it decided to extend the carbon reduction option to Full-Container Load (FCL) shipments. Customers can choose the use of sustainable biofuels, for example, via the myDHLi Quote + Book function. Offering the option of using SMF is another step towards cleaner and greener ocean freight, in line with Deutsche Post DHL Group’s Mission 2050 of zero emissions logistics, stated the company.

“The launch of our Sustainable Marine Fuel service for the neutralisation of carbon emissions for LCL shipments was very successful” saied Dominique von Orelli, Global Head of Ocean Freight, Global Forwarding. “The SMF based service makes it easy for our customers to reduce their carbon footprint and has been very well received so far. We are very excited that we can now also offer this option for FCL shipments and provide our customers with the opportunity to decarbonize their entire ocean freight trade lanes.”

DHL stated that the carbon reduction is achieved by DHL Global Forwarding purchasing SMF through partners and matching it with the amount consumed in the FCL shipment. Through the “book & claim” mechanism, there is no requirement for physical traceability of the fuel through a supply chain, as the environmental attributes of the SMF are separated from and can be purchased independently from the physical fuel, according to DHL.

As the first customer globally, international fashion company Lindex has reportedly switched to sustainable marine fuel for its FCL ocean freight. As a result, Lindex is decarbonising its entire ocean freight shipments with the help of DHL Global Forwarding, said DHL.

“We are at a turning point for our entire society. It is time to embrace innovation and collaboration, and together create the new normal we all would like to see – business models that are climate neutral, empowering, circular and truly sustainable. To switch our ocean freight to sustainable biofuels fuels was a natural step for us to take on our journey”, said Johan Engen, Director of Logistics at Lindex. 

The use of sustainable marine fuels is said to be an important lever for DHL Global Forwarding to reduce the environmental footprint of ocean freight. Waste-based biofuels must meet the requirements to be considered the cleanest biofuels currently available on the market according to strict sustainability standards, said DHL. With the goal of “burn less, burn clean”, the logistics provider aims to optimise carbon consumption across its network, fleet, and real estate. As part of this, DHL has a GoGreen carrier rating programme that allows the freight forwarder to give preference to carriers with strong environmental performance.

By 2030, the Group wants to invest €7bn in climate-neutral logistics solutions and cover at least 30% of fuel requirements by sustainable fuels, according to their recently published sustainability roadmap.

Source: DPDHL