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% 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% 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. 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.

—Thilo Schmid, CEO of Cologne Bonn Airport GmbH

Firefighting vehicle at Cologne Bonn Airport. Source: Cologne Bonn Airport

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.

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.

The GHG emission reduction percentage varies depending on the region-specific legislation that provides the methodology for the calculations (e.g. EU RED II 2018/2001/EU for Europe and US California LCFS for the US), and the raw material mix used to manufacture the product for each market.