(TAN): Nearly a third of Emirates’ buses for cabin crew in Dubai will now operate on biofuel, the airline has said.
The airline’s contracted service provider, Al Wegdaniyah, has decided to operate all road trips with biodiesel provided by Neutral Fuels, one of the UAE’s leading producers of biofuels, utilising locally sourced, used cooking oil as feedstock.
Emirates commissions a fleet of nearly four dozen buses in Dubai alone, apart from electric buses airside at Dubai International airport for the transportation of its crew between the terminal and aircraft, discerning an average of 700,000 kilometres in a normal month. Similar to operations in the air, route and schedule planning for ground transport is also an important aspect to maximise transport efficiency and reduce emissions.
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Using biofuel reduces greenhouse gases and other pollutants, and the change can be easily made because switching from fossil fuel to biofuel requires no modification to diesel engines, Emirates said, adding that this has a positive effect on engines because its lubricating properties help prevent premature wear and failure, and it even acts as a detergent in fuel systems, removing sludge deposits which improves efficiency and reduces maintenance costs.
The estimated carbon dioxide savings from this initiative is 75,000 kg annually, and the airline is working with its other transport suppliers to outstretch the same.
