Airbus tests renewable marine fuel

In line with its ambition to reduce its carbon emissions, Airbus is introducing renewable fuel on one of the vessels it uses for transportation by sea. A test campaign has been launched on the route Saint-Nazaire-Tunis-Naples at the end of December 2022, which will run for 18 months.

In order to reduce the impact of its industrial activities on the environment, Airbus is continously introducing alternative energy solutions across the different transportation methods it uses: air, road and maritime. In 2019, Airbus introduced Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) for its Beluga operations and initiated the use of biogas trucks in 2021 to transport aircraft sections and major components across its production sites in Europe. In addition, in December 2022, Airbus launched its first test campaign to explore the use of renewable fuel for its fleet of vessels over the course of 18 months. 

Provided by Neste and produced in Rotterdam, the renewable diesel fuel is made of HVO (Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil, or residual cooking oil) which contains no fossil fuels or additives. The fuel will be used for the first time on the Airbus vessel ‘Ciudad de Cadiz’ on the route Saint-Nazaire-Tunis-Naples-Saint-Nazaire operated by LDA, Louis Dreyfus Armateurs, and carrying major components for the A320 family between its production sites. During the 18-month test campaign, around a third of the total fuel (around 330 tons) is expected to be renewable, which will reduce CO₂ emissions by up to 20% per trip compared to fossil fuel. In one year, on this route only, Airbus aims to save around 6,000 tons of CO₂. 

This test campaign will enable Airbus and its partners to evaluate the performance of the renewable fuel and the vessel’s engine, and confirm by how much it has been able to reduce its CO₂ emissions.