German Airport Switches to Neste's Renewable Diesel for Ground Fleet — OPIS

Germany's Cologne Bonn Airport has switched to Neste's renewable diesel for its diesel-powered ground fleet, the Finnish refiner said Wednesday.

The fuel, made from 100% renewable raw materials, is used for powering large and heavy vehicles such as the airport's fire trucks, which are not easy to electrify, according to Neste.

It said that switching to the fuel will allow the airport to save almost 3,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions annually compared to the use of fossil diesel.

It added that by using the fuel, greenhouse gas emissions are reduced by as much as 90% over the lifecycle of the fuel compared with fossil diesel.

The airport is the only one in the country in which Neste sustainable aviation fuel is available for airlines while the company's renewable diesel is used for its own diesel-powered ground fleet. It became one of the first German airports to offer Neste SAF to airlines in 2021.

The switch of the diesel-powered vehicle fleet from fossil diesel to renewable diesel did not require any modifications to the existing diesel vehicles, as Neste maintains that the fuel has a similar chemical composition to fossil diesel.

"This means that it is a drop-in replacement for fossil diesel, fully compatible with all diesel engines and current diesel fuel distribution infrastructure," it said.

Airport Chief Executive Thilo Schmid called the use of renewable fuel "another important building block and a very important addition to our concept for climate-friendly mobility."

"For some vehicles, diesel propulsion is still the necessary standard, e.g. for the very large and heavy vehicles used by the airport's fire department," he added.

Neste calls itself the world's leading producer of SAF and renewable diesel and says that it plans to help its customers reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by at least 20 million tons annually by 2030.

The company is committed to reaching carbon-neutral production by 2035 and says that it will reduce the carbon emission intensity of sold products by 50% by 2040.

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--Reporting by Michael Schneider, mschneider@opisnet.com; Editing by Jordan Godwin, jgodwin@opisnet.com

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August 30, 2023 13:28 ET (17:28 GMT)

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