Newcastle International Airport are set to power vehicles with vegetable oil to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by up to 90%. Currently, 31% of the vehicle fleet are already electric and those remaining will now switch from diesel fuel to hydrotreated vegetable oil.

HVO is a low-carbon biofuel made from plant waste, oils and fats, and it makes it a more sustainable and lower-carbon alternative to diesel. The switch to HVO will save the Airport 329 tonnes of carbon a year, which is equivalent to the amount of electricity needed to power 400 homes in the UK, and it is part of ambitious plans to become Net Zero by 2035.

Alice Andreasen, Chief Sustainability and Communications Officer at Newcastle Airport, said: "Being a responsible organisation and a good neighbour is extremely important to us. Switching our vehicles from diesel to HVO will not only reduce CO2 emissions by up to 90% but it will also help improve air quality.

"This builds on the fantastic work we are doing as a business, which has seen us become a leader in our field for sustainability and helps move us closer to our Net Zero 2035 goal."

The switch to HVO comes as the Airport continues to make progress on its sustainability and environmental targets, with a 31% reduction in its carbon emissions since 2019, surpassing its target by 6%. The first phase of its solar farm project has been completed, with this method now able to provide 100% of the Airport’s electricity requirements on a sunny day.

The Airport has continued to invest in the roll out of a fully electric vehicle fleet, and the planting of 40,000m2 of hedgerows on Airport land, a 34% increase in biodiversity has been attained, surpassing the 2023 target by 24%.

The Airport recently achieved its target of Airport Carbon Accreditation Level 3 status, the only institutionally endorsed, global carbon management certification programme for airports. It also gained ‘Sustainability Sector Leader’ status and was ranked 3rd in the world amongst participating airports.

Source: Chronicle Live