Gatwick Airport has switched its fleet of diesel vehicles to run on Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO), saving 950 tonnes of carbon emissions per year.
Around 300 vehicles at the London airport, including fire engines and airside operations vehicles, were previously powered by diesel but now run on HVO.
This move will reduce Gatwick’s Scope 1 vehicle emissions by 90 per cent and is part of the airport’s commitment to be net zero for Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2030.
Gatwick is investing in low carbon alternatives for vehicles, boilers, and refrigerants, as well as on-site renewable energy sources such as solar power, to reduce emissions further.
Steve Kelso, head of engineering, London Gatwick, said: “the implementation of Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil to power our 300 diesel vehicles is an exciting milestone for London Gatwick’s sustainability journey and a big step in our fleet transition. It is vital we invest in sustainably sourced HVO to reduce emissions in all areas as soon as possible on our journey to reach net zero for our own Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2030. From the buses that pick passengers up from the long-stay car parks, to operations vehicles that patrol the airfield, HVO is now being used to fuel vehicles throughout the airport. As we continue to grow, we are making sustainability part of everything we do here at London Gatwick and we are committed to finding solutions and working differently to meet our ambitious targets.”
