Darling Ingredients Inc., the world's leading company turning food waste into sustainable products and producer of renewable energy, on Sept. 25 announced that its 50/50 joint venture Diamond Green Diesel will provide the first regular supply of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) to Florida through an agreement between World Fuel and DHL Express.

Under the terms of the agreement, World Fuel Services, a World Kinect Co. will deliver over a two-year period approximately 60 million gallons of blended SAF, of which 18 million gallons will be neat SAF (equaling approximately 227 million liters of blended SAF containing 68 million liters of neat SAF), and will be provided by Valero Marketing and Supply Co., a subsidiary of Valero Energy Corp. This agreement marks one of the first regular deliveries of blended SAF into the State of Florida. The neat SAF produced by Diamond Green Diesel, a joint venture between Valero and Darling Ingredients, will be produced from used cooking oil and food waste, certified by International Sustainability & Carbon Certification and have on average at least 80% lower lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions when compared to conventional jet fuel, which will be used to offer DHL Express customers emission-reduced air transportation services via DHL GoGreen Plus. Based on the "book and claim" approach, the SAF uplifted by DHL can be used by DHL's GoGreen Plus customers globally to reduce their CO2e emissions. The reductions achieved (Scope 3) are passed on to customers in the form of certificates. 

"As we continue expanding Diamond Green Diesel's SAF sales book, we're not only increasing market reach but also driving a meaningful shift toward a more sustainable energy landscape," said Randall C. Stuewe, Chairman and CEO. "We feel good about where we're headed — not just in growing our SAF contracts, but in the completion and startup of DGD's SAF operations, which remain on track for fourth quarter. DGD continues to be the lowest-cost, most profitable producer in the market, reinforcing our commitment to delivering both environmental and economic value."

With SAF expected to be online during fourth quarter 2024, the DGD Port Arthur plant will have the capability to upgrade approximately 50 percent of its current 470 million gallon annual production capacity to SAF. With the completion of this project, DGD is expected to be one of the largest SAF manufacturers in the world.