East Midlands Airport in UK converts its vehicle fleet to renewable diesel

Photo: East Midlands Airport

The East Midlands Airport in the U.K. announced in June that more than 60 vehicles involved in airport operations are now running on hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO), also known as renewable diesel, instead of fossil-based diesel fuel.

These include airfield operations and security-team vehicles, fire trucks and snow-clearing vehicles. 

The airport has worked with biofuel supplier YourNRG to bring about the change, which comes as its parent company, Manchester Airports Group, launches its five-year sustainability strategy, “Creating a sustainable future for all.”  

This pledges to transition its airports—Manchester, London Stansted and East Midlands—to net-zero carbon operations by 2038. 

East Midlands Airport has been carbon neutral since 2012 and was the U.K.’s first airport to be certified carbon neutral by the Airport Carbon Accreditation scheme. 

The airport has implemented a range of decarbonization measures at the site, including investing in energy-efficiency measures, installing commercial-grade wind turbines and using 100 percent electricity from renewable sources.

Over the past year, the airport has introduced two new electric “ambulifts,” which transport passengers with reduced mobility to aircraft, and installed electric-vehicle (EV) charging points for vehicles operating on the airfield. 

In other initiatives, the airport also diverts 100 percent of its waste from landfill, and uses car parking revenue to improve public-transport options to access the site. 

The airport’s renewable diesel is produced from waste vegetable oils and fats, which undergo a hydrogen treatment to be turned into renewable fuel that reduces carbon emissions by up to 90 percent compared to fossil diesel.

It also drastically lowers particulate emissions and is biodegradable, making it safer for the environment than traditional diesel. 

“We are always looking at ways to reduce our impact on the environment, with the aim of hitting Manchester Airport Group’s target of achieving net-zero operations by 2038,” said Steve Griffiths, East Midlands Airport’s managing director. “Working with YourNRG to convert our fleet of ground vehicles is a great step forward, with significant emissions reductions and other environmental benefits.” 

Lee Reason, the commercial director at YourNRG, added, “We’re proud to support East Midlands Airport on its journey toward decarbonization. By transitioning their operational fleet to HVO fuel, they’ve taken a major step in reducing emissions without compromising on performance. It’s a powerful example of how sustainable alternatives can deliver real impact today. As more organizations commit to ambitious climate goals, HVO fuel offers a practical, low-carbon solution to help get them there faster.”