Cologne Bonn Airport Switches to Neste MY Renewable Diesel in its Entire Diesel-Powered Ground Fleet

Aug. 30, 2023
By using Neste MY Renewable Diesel the airport will save almost 3,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions (CO2e) annually compared to the use of fossil diesel.

Cologne Bonn Airport has switched to Neste MY Renewable Diesel in its diesel-powered ground fleet. Neste's renewable diesel (also known as HVO100) is made from 100 percent renewable raw materials, and it is in particular used for powering large and heavy vehicles such as the airport’s fire trucks, which are not easy to electrify. In total, switching to Neste MY Renewable Diesel will allow the airport to save almost 3,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions (CO2e) annually compared to the use of fossil diesel. By using Neste MY Renewable Diesel, greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) are reduced by as much as 90 percent over the life cycle of the fuel compared to fossil diesel.

“The use of renewable fuel is another important building block and a very important addition to our concept for climate-friendly mobility,” says Thilo Schmid, CEO of Cologne Bonn Airport GmbH. “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. For these, Neste MY Renewable Diesel is a solution enabling immediate decarbonization.”

Cologne Bonn Airport was one of the first German airports to offer Neste MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel to airlines in 2021 enabling them to reduce carbon emissions from flights departing Cologne Bonn Airport. It is now the only airport in Germany where sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) from Neste is available for airlines, while at the same time the airport uses Neste MY Renewable Diesel for its own diesel-powered ground fleet.

“We are very pleased with Cologne Bonn Airport's decision to now also use Neste MY Renewable Diesel for all diesel-powered vehicles at the airport in addition to providing Neste’s SAF to airlines as well as cargo and business aviation customers. By providing these renewable products at Cologne Bonn Airport, we at Neste are happy to be able to make a valuable contribution to the airport's own sustainability goals,” says Peter Zonneveld, vice president sales of Neste's Renewable Road Transportation business. 

Switching the diesel-powered vehicle fleet of Cologne Bonn Airport from fossil diesel to renewable diesel from Neste did not require any modifications to the existing diesel vehicles. Neste MY Renewable Diesel 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.