Gaia, Neste Oil, Finnair, Finavia, the Finnish Ministry of Transport and Communications, the Finnish Ministry of Employment and the Economy, and Service Design Agency Diagonal are exploring the possibilities of using biofuel in aviation at Helsinki-Vantaa airport.
Finland is looking into the possibilities of using biofuels in aviation. The main barrier to their use is their considerably higher price compared to other fuels. That is why Gaia, Neste Oil, Finnair, Finavia, the Finnish Ministry of Transport and Communications, the Finnish Ministry of Employment and the Economy, and Service Design Agency Diagonal are together looking for solutions that could make biofuels a profitable option in aviation.
“Our goal is to explore the possibilities of biofuels as widely as possible to find a solution for profitable business. The time is right, because the International Air Transport Association IATA has set a target, according to which 10 percent of aviation fuels should be biofuels in 2017, and after 2020, aviation should grow without increasing its carbon dioxide emissions. Furthermore, Finland has committed to promote clean technology and bioeconomy,” says Leading Consultant Päivi Luoma from Gaia.
The objective of the cooperation is to find product concepts that address profitable aviation, environmental concerns and customer needs. The results will be ready in September and they will determine, whether Helsinki-Vantaa airport will start testing biofuel distribution to airlines.
“We are developing Helsinki-Vantaa airport with the goal of serving 20 million passengers in the beginning of next decade. The airport will be environmentally efficient as there is no overcrowding in the airspace and airlines can land using the Continuous Descent Approach, which will allow them to reduce their emissions. Now is the right time to cooperate and find solutions that help airlines to continue reducing emissions with the profitable use of biofuels. Being a pioneer could give Finland and Helsinki-Vantaa airport a global competitive advantage,” says sustainable development director Mikko Viinikainen from Finavia.
The cooperation follows the recommendations given by a working group of the Finnish Ministry of Transport and Communications, which explored the future of traffic fuels. It is also closely related to the directive on the deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure, issued by the European Parliament in April.
More information:
- Päivi Luoma, Leading Consultant, Gaia Consulting, +358 50 430 8866, firstname.lastname@gaia.fi
- Kaisa Hietala, Vice President of Renewable Fuels, Neste Oil, +358 50 458 4128
- Kati Ihamäki, Vice President, Sustainable Development, Finnair Oyj, +358 40 582 2107
- Mikko Viinikainen, Vice President, Sustainability & Environment, Finavia Oyj, +358 40 530 2646
- Anna Sotaniemi, Ministerial Counsellor, Ministry of Transport and Communications, +358 29 534 2491
- Juho Korteniemi, Ministerial Advisor, Ministry of Employment and the Economy, +358 29 506 0016
- Henrich Nyman, Senior Business Designer, Diagonal, + 358 400 835 521
