Aperam South America aims to reduce up to 80% of emissions related to air transportation of documents by expanding its partnership with DHL Express, a global logistics and distribution company specializing in GoGreen solutions. Through the initiative, all documentation related to the steel company's exports will be 100% transported with SAF, an acronym in English for Sustainable Aviation Fuel, also known as the "fuel of the future," which emits up to 80% less CO2 than traditional jet kerosene (Jet Fuel).
SAF is a green alternative to aviation kerosene, obtained from raw materials such as cooking oil, organic waste, corn, sugarcane, hydrogen, and CO2 synthesis. And because of its chemical structure similar to conventional fossil-based aviation fuels, SAF can be mixed with kerosene in aircraft and generate up to 80% reduction in CO2 emissions – current mixing rates are limited to 50% due to legal obligations.
Furthermore, there is no need to adapt aircraft engines and it reduces or even eliminates other harmful emissions, such as sulfur particles.
Scope 3 decarbonization
The partnership will enable Aperam – carbon-neutral in scopes 1 and 2, which involve its own operations and energy use – to advance decarbonization in scope 3, promoting a positive and measurable environmental impact. DHL Express will provide, for example, detailed reports with indicators of the distance traveled and the volume of greenhouse gas emissions reduced. Additionally, it will issue an annual certificate that will ensure the transparency and traceability of the results achieved.
For Aperam's Commercial and Logistics Director, Rodrigo Damasceno, this is another important step for the company, committed to decarbonization throughout its entire production chain. "After achieving neutrality in scopes 1 and 2, our goal now is to advance low-carbon technologies also in scope 3, joining efforts with our partners and suppliers, such as DHL Express," he noted.
“The application of alternative aviation fuels is a pioneering initiative and will position us as a global player in the decarbonization of the transport matrix, reinforcing our commitment to a more responsible and sustainable future,” added Damasceno.
For DHL Express sales manager Claudia Pechnicki, the partnership shows that DHL is advancing sustainable practices in the logistics sector through goals that are part of the DHL Group's zero emissions by 2050. "DHL Express has a clear commitment to reducing CO2 emissions. Through the GoGreen solution, our customers can achieve decarbonization goals in scope 3. The use of SAF is a concrete and effective measure," he explains.
Neutrality in scopes 1 and 2
In 2024, Aperam achieved, for the fourth consecutive year, a carbon neutral balance in scopes 1 and 2, according to the Verification Declaration issued by Société Générale de Surveillance (SGS), a reference in testing, inspection and certification, after audits.
The document shows that the integrated operations of the Timóteo steel plant, in Vale do Aço (MG), and the BioEnergia unit, in Vale do Jequitinhonha, emitted 413.3 ktCO2e in 2023 and removed 450 ktCO2e in the same year.
Neutrality in scopes 1 and 2 was first certified by Aperam in 2020, nine years after the company definitively eliminated the use of coke in its blast furnaces. Derived from mineral coal, coke is a fossil fuel responsible for most of the emissions generated by the steel industry.
