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At Finnish airports, apron buses run on waste and residues – 610 tons of emissions reduced with renewable fuel

Article published
22.12.2018 at 09:00
Responsibility
Helsinki Airport and Lapland airports are cutting down greenhouse gas emissions by using renewable diesel made of waste and residues.

Good environmental work is a part of Finavia's corporate responsibility. Our Sum of Good things series highlights details of Finavia's responsibility work.

Did you know, that when you ride a bus from the terminal to the aircraft at Helsinki Airport, there are waste and residues in the fuel tank?

Since summer 2017, Helsinki Airport’s apron buses have used Neste My Renewable Diesel, which is made of 100 % renewable raw materials.

In addition to buses, all Finavia-owned diesel vehicles at Helsinki Airport have switched to renewable diesel during the fall of 2018. In addition, the Lapland airports Rovaniemi, Kuusamo, Ivalo and Kittilä took renewable diesel into use in November.

The switch to renewable fuel is part of achieving the goal of making all Finavia airports carbon dioxide neutral this year. Helsinki Airport reached carbon neutrality in 2017, followed by all others in 2019, says Finavia’s Environmental Specialist Johanna Kara.

So far, renewable diesel has helped Finavia cut down its greenhouse gas emissions by 610 metric tons, which is the equivalent of travelling 110 times around the Earth by a diesel car.

Renewable diesel has helped us reduce emissions by as much as 85 %, says Kara.

Recycled fish and meat fat to fuel

Finavia is forerunner among airport operators in the use of renewable diesel.

“Globally, only a few airports have begun to use renewable diesel. We have an advantage in the fact that it is produced ‘right around the corner’— at the Neste refinery in Porvoo,” shares Kara.

Neste MY renewable diesel is made of waste and residues such as animal fat from food industry and fish processing waste, used cooking oil, technical corn oil and residues from vegetable oil production.

The greenhouse gas emissions over the entire life cycle of Neste MY Renewable Diesel made from wastes and residues are on the average 90% smaller than those of fossil diesel.

Our goal is that in the future, also other companies at the airport, such as ground handling companies, would switch to the use of renewable fuels,says Kara.

Heading towards zero emissions airports – Lapland Airports in Finland switch to Neste MY Renewable Diesel.

Read more about Finavia’s climate programme.

Watch a video about Finavia’s corporate responsibility – the Sum of Good things.

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