San Diego Airport begins using renewable diesel

SAN DIEGO — The airport in San Diego has taken the leap to renewable diesel, radically cutting down emissions.

Working behind the scenes at San Diego International Airport gives Charlie Long a lot of hope for the future. He is the general manager at Menzies Aviation and recently helped deliver the first shipment of renewable diesel in partnership with SAN Fuel Company.

Renewable diesel is a sustainable fuel made from vegetable oil, animal fats and agricultural waste that would otherwise end up in a landfill. Long said it’s chemically identical to fossil fuel-derived diesel, so it can immediately be substituted for use in diesel engines.

“If you have fast food restaurants that are cooking their fries and things in different types of oil, that can now be converted into a sustainable type of fuel,” Long said. “So we’re getting away from a petroleum-based product and being able to go to a more vegetable oil-based sustainable product that does not give out the same emissions.”

Chad Reese works with the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority and said the sustainable fuel is now being used in all diesel-powered airside vehicles and equipment, like baggage tugs, belt loaders, and firefighting vehicles.

“This has been in the works for a few years and we’re working to transition vehicles and equipment across the airport to alternative fuel. That could be renewable diesel, that could be electric, that could be propane,” Reese said.

Reese said the airport has converted about 30% of their entire fleet to use alternative fuels. They estimate renewable diesel can reduce emissions by up to 75% or more compared to petroleum diesel.

“The true impact that we’ve seen is the emissions reduction at the airport,” Reese said. “Renewable diesel is a great step on our way.”

While it could be many years before all airlines swap out tradition diesel for a more sustainable fuel, Long believes the switch at San Diego International Airport will reduce their carbon footprint, improve local air quality and be better for the environment.

“I’m able to go and talk to my children and my grandchildren, that I work in a petroleum-based industry and these are the steps that we took in my career to be able to show that we are being sustainable and looking out for the future environmental impact, especially in a place like San Diego,” he said.

San Diego International Airport is within a mile of the bay, and the team said being as clean and environmentally friendly as possible is a high priority. They have a sustainability management program that has plans focusing on everything from biodiversity, water conservation and climate resilience.