By progressively reducing traditional fuels in industrial transport and replacing them with other types of propulsion systems or means, Airbus is making a major contribution to its global sustainability ambitions for 2025.

The use of biogas trucks is a part of the partnership agreement with the transporter Groupe Blondel. So far, they will be used in daily operations between Méaulte and Saint-Nazaire, meaning up to four convoys a day, carrying up to 12 single-aisle nose kit sections. In one year, on this route only, Airbus will save some 400 tons of CO².

Biogas is a renewable version of traditional natural gas, which has already been used by Airbus for some road transportation in Germany since 2020. Biogas is obtained from organic biomass in Europe. Compared to natural gas, biogas is made by methanising organic biomass waste, thus recycling materials. Across its entire lifecycle, biogas saves up to 80% of CO² emissions compared to diesel. In addition, trucks powered by biogas feature a 5 dB noise reduction when compared to those powered by diesel.

All single-aisle nose kits are now transported by biogas trucks, and this will continue to be the case as Airbus increases production rates.

Airbus and Groupe Blondel successfully found an agreement to maintain operating costs at their current level. This underlines the commitment of suppliers to support Airbus with its sustainability ambitions. Procurement policy now includes the consideration of environmental efforts in the bidders' offers, which will foster the deployment of biogas and other sustainable energies across industrial transportation activities in the years to come.

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Airbus SE published this content on 21 September 2021 and is solely responsible for the information contained therein. Distributed by Public, unedited and unaltered, on 21 September 2021 15:11:03 UTC.