DHL invests $20.2M in electric vehicles at UK hub

DHL Express UK plans to introduce 100 pieces of new electric ground support equipment at East Midlands Airport, DHL’s primary hub for the United Kingdom. [caption id="attachment_57140431" align="alignright" width="300"] DHL Express UK plans to introduce 100 pieces of new electric ground support equipment at East Midlands Airport in the next three years. (Courtesy/DHL)[/caption] The company in December announced a 16 million pound ($20.2 million) investment in electric ground service vehicles and infrastructure at the airport over three years. It is the latest effort by DHL Express UK. “Over the past few years, our efforts in implementing sustainable GSE on a global scale have yielded significant progress,” James Neill , vice president of operations for the EMA hub at DHL Express UK, told Air Cargo Next . The new electric ground support equipment (GSE) includes: 28 tugs; Five nose-lifter vehicles, which lift aircraft to push them back from their parking stands; Five high-loaders; and Six belt-loaders. DHL aims to make its airport ground-handling operation fully electric by 2032, according to a company release. Meanwhile, East Midlands Airport (EMA) is looking to become a net-zero airport by 2038, EMA Managing Director Steve Griffiths said in the release. EMA was the first DHL site to deploy sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), Neill said, adding that other hubs are showing promise with GSE innovations. “Our hub in Copenhagen stands out with an impressive 78% of its GSE being electric,” Neill said. “This achievement enables the business to conduct entirely green turnarounds, marking a substantial milestone. Additionally, Malpensa Airport [in Milan (MXP)] has a 72% electric GSE fleet.” As waste is counterproductive to decarbonization efforts, DHL plans to sell the GSE it replaces at EMA “to ensure that it is used for its maximum life span,” Neill said. “As a business, we are always looking to move onto the latest innovations and most sustainable solutions, but of course, we need to make sure that we are not wasteful when doing so,” he said. Going electric The air cargo industry is increasingly turning to electric — and not just for aircraft systems . SAF is considered by many to be a key investment for decarbonizing the aviation industry, but other solutions include solar power, hydrogen technologies and electric. The FAA gave $92 million in grants last summer to help 21 airports cut emissions through the implementation of solar panels, electric vehicles, charging stations and electrification studies, according to an FAA release in July. Nearly half of the funds, $44.5 million, were awarded to airports to plan for and purchase electric vehicles and infrastructure. “We need to help airports transition their operations as quickly as possible to renewable power,” Shannetta R. Griffin , associate administrator for airports at the FAA, said in the release. “Our investments keep us on track for the net-zero goal.” President Joe Biden has set a goal for the United States to have a net-zero emissions economy by 2050. Elsewhere in the world: Dubai-based air and travel services provider dnata took delivery in January of 15 electric smart cars — with plans to receive five more soon — to replace all airside diesel vehicles in its fleet at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS); All Nippon Airways acquired in December a fast charger from Swedish-Swiss automation company ABB Group for electric GSE at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport (HND); and Airport handler Menzies Aviation announced in November that it is performing fully electric turnarounds at Budapest Airport (BUD) in collaboration with carrier Wizz Air . Editor’s note: All amounts have been converted to U.S. dollars. Register here for Air Cargo Next ’s free webinar, “The Role of Drones in the Future of Air Cargo,” on Tuesday, March 26, at 11 a.m. ET.

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