dnata said it partnered with ExxonMobil to start a six-month trial to fuel 12 of its airside vehicles and generator sets with renewable diesel.

The trial uses Esso Renewable Diesel R20 (R20), which has an estimated 15.4%1 lower lifecycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions compared to conventional diesel.

dnata said R20 — made with a minimum of 20% renewable content — can be used in existing diesel engines and is available at selected Esso service stations and through bulk delivery to commercial customers.

"dnata is the first ground handler at Changi Airport to use renewable diesel, with partial funding provided by the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) as part of its Aviation Sustainability Programme," dnata said in its announcement.

It noted that if successful, the trial could be rolled out to 200 airside vehicles and generator sets across dnata's ground handling and cargo operations.

This would mark a further step towards the dnata Group's goal of reducing its carbon footprint by 50% by 2030 as part of its eight-year strategy.

dnata said as a result of its significant investment in electric and hybrid airside vehicles, dnata Singapore currently operates over 65 such vehicles, with 90% of its forklift fleet electrified.

In addition, dnata Singapore's facilities have recently installed innovative cooling technology, providing chilled water and air conditioning.

"We are delighted to partner with ExxonMobil for this significant trial. dnata remains at the forefront of ground handling services in Singapore, with ongoing investments in cleaner-energy equipment and infrastructure. We look forward to working with ExxonMobil and CAAS to further reduce our carbon footprint throughout this trial and beyond," said Charles Galloway, dnata's regional CEO, Airport Operations – Asia Pacific.

Mabel Leung, Asia Pacific fuel sales director at ExxonMobil, said the partnership reflects the company's ability to offer lower-GHG emission solutions for the transportation sector in Singapore and the Asia-Pacific region.

dnata currently serves more than 50 airlines at Singapore Changi Airport, handling over 15,000 flights and moving over 250,000 tonnes of cargo annually.

In the financial year 2023-24, dnata handled over 778,000 aircraft turns and moved over 2.9 million tonnes of cargo, among others.