Belfast International cuts vehicle emissions with HVO switch

Belfast International Airport, a member of the VINCI Airports network, will cut its carbon emissions from diesel vehicles and emergency standby generators by 90% by swapping the fuel for Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO).
By Eimear CurranContributor
Published 26th Mar 2024, 10:25 BST
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

The move is part of VINCI’s wider sustainability ambitions to achieve net zero emission for the entire network by 2050. HVO is a low-carbon biofuel made from plant waste, oils and fats making it a more sustainable and lower-carbon alternative to diesel.

All diesel vehicles will now be powered by HVO until they are retired from use and then replaced by electric vehicles or other low carbon alternatives as part of the Airport’s sustainability policy.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The Airport fleet includes fire appliances, airside operations vehicles and car park minibuses as well as emergency power generation, which is used during low visibility procedures.

Pictured L-R: Kevin Napier, Compliance Manager at BFS and Michael McNally, Car Park Operative.Pictured L-R: Kevin Napier, Compliance Manager at BFS and Michael McNally, Car Park Operative.
Pictured L-R: Kevin Napier, Compliance Manager at BFS and Michael McNally, Car Park Operative.

Following a successful trial in 2023, results indicated that using HVO had no impact on the performance of vehicles, including fire engines, which still have the capacity to respond to emergency calls anywhere on the airfield within three minutes.

Kevin Napier, Compliance Manager, Belfast International Airport, said: “The introduction of Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil to power our diesel vehicles and emergency power generation is a significant step along our journey to decarbonise the airport and meet our 50% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2030.

“From the buses that pick passengers up from car parks to operations vehicles that patrol the airfield, HVO is now being used to fuel vehicles throughout the airport. As we continue to grow, we are making sustainability part of everything we do here at Belfast International Airport and we are committed to finding solutions and working differently to meet our ambitious targets.”