This week, energy company DCC Energi delivered the first supply of the new HVO fuel to Esbjerg Airport’s on-site refuelling facility. As a result, sweepers, service vehicles, snowploughs and firefighting vehicles are now operating on the diesel-like biofuel made from waste biomass. “At Esbjerg Airport, we have a clear objective to gradually reduce the climate impact that is currently unavoidable when operating an airport. After using GTL instead of diesel in our vehicle fleet for several years, we have now chosen to replace GTL with a biofuel produced from 100% waste biomass,” says Peter Tinggård Friis, Operations Manager at Esbjerg Airport, and adds: “With HVO, we gain an immediate opportunity to reduce the climate footprint of fuel used by sweepers, snow-clearing equipment and other vehicles, without having to replace the equipment prematurely. This is naturally a major advantage – not least because electric alternatives, for example, are not yet available for several of the vehicles that are essential in an airport environment.” The new initiative targets the fuel-related climate footprint of a total of 18 vehicles. In addition, it includes a generator that supplies power to helicopters while on standby, as well as an emergency generator. HVO has a total CO₂e footprint that is lower than that of conventional diesel. Based on emission factors from Erhvervsstyrelsen’s Klimakompasset.dk, the reduction amounts to between 80 and 90 per cent compared with diesel. The initiative is the latest step in Esbjerg Airport’s climate efforts. Back in April, the airport also received alternative aviation fuel, SAF, inside the perimeter fence for the first time, when Vestas, together with helicopter operator NHV, commenced flights using bio-based jet fuel. Esbjerg Airport expects annual HVO consumption to be approximately 20,000 litres. The fuel is supplied by DCC Energi, which has seen growing interest in bio-based HVO fuel among business customers nationwide since 2021. HVO is a liquid fuel for diesel engines. The abbreviation stands for Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil, and it is a 100% bio-based fuel typically produced from used cooking oil. It can also be made from animal waste fat from the food industry, fish oil derived from waste fish, and vegetable oil. HVO can be used in all diesel engines and vehicles without requiring technical modifications.