For 1 month, Iberia Airport Services will supply almost all of its handling teams with 5,000 litres of 100% renewable fuel from Repsol, which was treated at the Petronor refinery in Muskiz, 30km from the airport.
The fuel will power conveyor belts, ladders, electrical and pneumatic equipment, planters, tractors, platforms and pushback trailers, cutting CO2 emissions by 12.5 tonnes during the month.
Carlos Suarez, Director of Mobility at Repsol, said: “Renewable fuels already reduce CO2 emissions from transport and are compatible with the current vehicle fleet and existing distribution and refuelling infrastructures, without the need to make any modifications. These fuels broaden the range of technologies to decarbonise the hugely important airport services sector.”
Jose Luis de Luna, Director of Iberia Airports, added: “At Iberia Airport Services we are committed to achieving the goal of net zero emissions in our airport services throughout the network by 2025. To do this, we are going to invest more than €100 million in some thirty initiatives, including the electrification of more than 80% of our equipment, and the use of alternative energies, such as HVO, a fuel that allows us to reduce equipment emissions by 100%.”
The initiative is part of a collaboration agreement between Iberia and Repsol, who have worked on the AVIATOR project to analyse the impact of aviation emissions on the air quality at airports.
In January 2022, Iberia joined the Spanish Hydrogen Network (SHYNE) consortium, led by Repsol, to accelerate the development of green hydrogen in Spain.
Repsol and Iberia have a roadmap to promote sustainable aviation fuel with the first advanced biofuel plant in Spain, located in Cartagena, Murcia scheduled to come into operation in 2023.
In 2025, Repsol and Iberia plan to operate with synthetic SAF produced at the Petronor plant in Bilbao.
Renewable fuels are made from organic waste such as used vegetable oils, animal fats and agricultural and forestry residues that are not intended for food.
Repsol has manufactured and marketed biofuels for more than 2 decades and has incorporated organic waste in its manufacturing since 2019.
In 2025, Repsol will have a production capacity of 1.3 million tonnes of renewable fuels and will reach more than 2 million tonnes in 2030.
