Renewable diesel trials for airside vehicles begin at Changi Airport

According to the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS), renewable diesel has up to 95 per cent lower lifecycle carbon emissions compared with conventional fossil diesel.

SINGAPORE: In an effort to decarbonise Singapore’s aviation sector, trials will be conducted on the use of renewable diesel for heavy and specialised airside vehicles operating at Changi Airport. 

The trials, expected to last one year, will inform deliberation on adopting renewable diesel to power such vehicles in the future, said the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) in a media release on Monday (May 13). 

Singapore aims to reduce domestic aviation emissions from airport operations by 20 per cent from 2019 levels by 2030.

It has also set a target to achieve net-zero domestic and international aviation emissions – inclusive of emissions from international flights operated by Singapore-based operators – by 2050. 

In February, CAAS announced a blueprint that would guide Singapore towards becoming a more sustainable air hub. This included transitioning to cleaner energy for airside vehicles.

The transition is to be achieved in three ways – electrification, the use of biofuels and exploring the use of hydrogen-powered airside vehicles, said CAAS.

While viable electric vehicle variants for light vehicles, such as cars and vans, are widely available, the national aviation authority pointed out that few electric options exist for many of the the over 1,800 heavy and specialised vehicles and ground support equipment at Changi Airport. 

Therefore, “a key near-term decarbonisation pathway for such vehicles is the use of biofuels, and in particular renewable diesel”, it said. 

According to CAAS, renewable diesel has up to 95 per cent lower lifecycle carbon emissions compared with conventional fossil diesel.

“It can be used as a ‘drop in’ replacement in existing diesel engines without modification, and tap the existing transportation, storage, and distribution infrastructure for diesel, with minimal adjustments,” the national aviation authority said. 

“It can also be blended with fossil diesel in any proportion, allowing companies to calibrate their investments in cleaner energy according to their decarbonisation goals.”

The trials will help develop the supply chain and procurement processes for using renewable diesel at Changi Airport and evaluate the fuel’s operating performance in relation to conventional fossil diesel, said CAAS. 

Aspects that will be evaluated include the requirements and frequencies of vehicular and equipment maintenance, it added. 

The trials will involve all key stakeholders operating specialised vehicles and ground support equipment at the airport. 

These include Changi Airport Group (CAG), dnata, SATS and SIA Engineering Company (SIAEC).

Director-general of CAAS Han Kok Juan thanked stakeholders for their work on the trials, adding that CAAS is “leaning forward” to support the aviation industry’s decarbonisation efforts.

The trials are eligible for co-funding under the Aviation Sustainability Programme run by CAAS, which supports sustainable aviation projects with up to 70 per cent funding for sector-wide projects and up to 50 per cent funding for company-level projects.

The programme’s second call-for-proposal will be conducted from May 14 to Sep 30.  

Examples of projects it could support include the adoption of novel or more energy-efficient airport systems and/or equipment as well as transitions to cleaner energy sources.

“The trials underscore Singapore’s firm commitment to decarbonise our aviation sector and exemplify our practical, action-oriented and collaborative approach,” said Mr Han. 

“We hope that the example of the renewable diesel trials and our new call for proposal will further catalyse efforts to decarbonise the aviation sector.”