Austin-Bergstrom International Airport has begun its transition to renewable natural gas, with the help of its long-time partner Clean Energy.
The new partnership calls for Clean Energy to provide the airport with its Redeem brand of renewable natural gas (RNG), the first commercially available vehicle fuel made entirely from 100% organic waste.
The Austin-Bergstrom shuttle bus fleet has historically used alternative fuels, with half of the fleet utilizing propane, and the other half, compressed natural gas (CNG). The airport has begun fueling half of its shuttle bus fleet with RNG, an ultra-low-carbon fuel that is cleaner than traditional CNG. This will reduce its carbon footprint by approximately 20% at no extra cost.
“We’re very excited to partner with Clean Energy to switch over to RNG. This will have a significant impact on our carbon footprint and is a major step toward achieving our sustainability goals,” said BJ Carpenter, sustainability program coordinator at Austin-Bergstrom.
Natural gas-powered vehicles have been playing an active role at US airports for over two decades, with more than 40 airports across the country running their ground transportation fleets on CNG. The benefits of fueling airport transportation vehicles with natural gas include lower fuel costs compared with diesel, improved public health and air quality, reduced environmental impact from greenhouse gas, and increased US energy independence.
In 2019, Austin-Bergstrom achieved Level 2 Carbon Accreditation in the Airports Council International’s program. The airport’s goal is to reach carbon neutrality in 2020.