London Gatwick Airport has cut its Scope 1 emissions by 90% by switching 300 diesel vehicles to run on hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO).
HVO is a low-carbon biofuel made from plant waste, oils and fats, making it a more sustainable and lower-carbon alternative to diesel.
These 300 diesel vehicles form 85% of London Gatwick’s fleet. The switch means the airport will save more than 950 metric tons of carbon emissions per annum. This is another step toward the airport’s commitment to being net zero for its own Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2030.
The 300 vehicles will be powered by HVO until they are retired from use and will then be replaced by electric vehicles as part of the airport’s sustainability policy, Decade of Change.
Airport vehicles that are now powered by HVO include all the fire engines, airside operations vehicles and snowplows. The airport’s trial concluded that HVO had no impact on the performance of the vehicles, meaning the fire engines can still respond to callouts anywhere on the airfield within three minutes.
Steve Kelso, head of engineering at London Gatwick, said, “The implementation of hydrotreated vegetable oil to power our 300 diesel vehicles is an exciting milestone for London Gatwick’s sustainability journey and a big step in our fleet transition. It is vital we invest in sustainably sourced HVO to reduce emissions in all areas as soon as possible on our journey to reach net zero for our own Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2030.
“HVO is now being used to fuel vehicles throughout the airport, from the buses that pick up passengers from the long-stay car parks, to operations vehicles that patrol the airfield. As we continue to grow, we are making sustainability part of everything we do here at London Gatwick and we are committed to finding solutions and working differently to meet our ambitious targets.”
In 2023, London Gatwick accelerated its commitment to be net zero for its own Scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions by 2030, 10 years ahead of its previous commitment. The airport will invest over £250m (US$317m) to replace all vehicles, gas boilers and refrigerants with low-carbon alternatives.
It will also continue to reduce overall energy use, invest in on-site renewable energy – including solar power – and continue to source 100% renewable electricity. The move to HVO forms part of London Gatwick’s plans to also address Scope 3 (indirect) emissions, which account for the largest impact at the airport.
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