Summary:
Growing list of SAF agreements — including a recent deal with DHL Express — highlights cross-industry collaboration as the SAF industry pursues scalability.
Phillips 66® Aviation is uniquely positioned to help shape a lower-carbon future for the industry.
As the aviation industry continues to seek runways for decarbonization, Phillips 66® Aviation has emerged as a global leader in sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), securing agreements designed to push the company — and the market forward.
Over the past year, the Aviation team has demonstrated a commitment to innovation and collaboration across the SAF value chain, including its most recent agreement with DHL Express. Phillips 66’s integrated model — spanning refining, logistics and commercial operations — has been vital in supplying reliable, lower-carbon solutions for airlines worldwide.
“Our integrated model is a competitive advantage that enables resilience and value creation in the SAF market,” said Ronald Sanchez, Phillips 66 vice president of aviation. “Our people, capabilities and assets allow for feedstock optionality; our supply chain agility accounts for an evolving environment.”
Progress takes flight
Phillips 66’s SAF deal with DHL Express is one of the largest U.S. air cargo SAF agreements, supplying the logistics company with over 240,000 metric tons of SAF over three years. The SAF in this agreement is expected to reduce life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 737,000 metric tons compared to conventional jet fuel.
The announcement is the latest in a growing list of Phillips 66 customer milestones in the last calendar year, which also includes agreements with Alaska Airlines, British Airways, Qantas Airlines and United Airlines.
Each agreement represents important steps toward decarbonization and opportunities to offer dependable, lower-carbon solutions.
Scaling up: Experience and cross-industry collaboration
Serving a broad customer base, Phillips 66 Aviation benefits from the company’s integrated portfolio and global reach.
Phillips 66 Aviation advantages:
- Deep industry experience — Nearly 100 years in aviation fuel supply.
- Market presence — Supplies approximately 10% of U.S. jet fuel and one of the largest branded fixed base operator (FBO) customer base.
- Leading SAF assets — Rodeo Renewable Energy Complex in the U.S. has production capacity of 150 million gallons per year of neat SAF and Humber Refinery in the U.K., which is the country’s only commercial-scale producer of SAF through coprocessing.
- Commercial operations — Global offices in Asia, Europe and North America with an operating network of over 80 countries.
Sanchez recently noted at the Argus North American Biofuels, LCFS & Carbon Markets Summit that there are still notable barriers to scaling SAF, stating that it will require collaboration to overcome them.
For example, Phillips 66 recently signed an agreement with Chooose to implement a SAF book-and-claim system. The system facilitates the allocation and tracking of environmental benefits from SAF when the fuel is not physically delivered to specific customers or locations. This agreement enables Phillips 66 to offer additional solutions for the aviation industry by streamlining SAF delivery and documentation, making operations more efficient and fostering collaboration.
“We’re working side by side with airlines, fuel producers, technology developers, policymakers and regulators — across the U.S. and internationally — to overcome the barriers to scaling SAF,” he said. “No single player can scale this alone. Supportive policies, regulatory certainty and reliable feedstock availability are essential to making SAF economically viable and competitive with conventional fuel.”
As the conversation and collaboration continues, Phillips 66 stands prepared to deliver energy solutions. Sanchez said, “With our refineries, midstream assets, research capabilities and commercial expertise, we are uniquely positioned to help shape the next 100 years of aviation.”