BR Aviation and Pioneiro Combustíveis start supplying aircraft at Manaus Airport with 100% electric VW truck
The main goal of this union is to enhance the decarbonization of the aviation segment and also help promote the development of the Amazon Region, in line with the strategic guidelines of BR Aviation and Pioneiro, to focus on business focused on the transition towards cleaner and renewable energy sources. The initiative opens an immediate possibility, of rapid adoption, to reduce the impact of the aviation sector on global warming.
“We know that the transformation of aircraft, whether to use green fuel or electricity, will still take some time. The electric truck is a result of the search for solutions already available, with proven effectiveness and economic and operational viability to reduce emissions right away,” says Lindi Tambke, CEO of Pioneiro Combustíveis.
Aviation is responsible for about 3.5% of human contribution to global warming, according to a 2020 study conducted by Manchester Metropolitan University, published in the journal Atmospheric Environment. By starting to adopt electric trucks for refueling, BR Aviation and Pioneiro Combustíveis anticipate one of the goals of the SustenAr program, launched by ANAC (National Civil Aviation Agency) to stimulate improvements in environmental aspects in Civil Aviation. The program foresees, as one of the ways to stimulate sustainable solutions, the substitution of fossil fuels in the ground airport fleet.
“Starting an innovative operation, with great potential for transformation in the sector, is the realization of a dream. We are passionate about the Amazon region and know the great potential for repercussion of the initiatives implemented here. We have our operational base in Manaus, and we want to prove that, if it is possible to innovate in the heart of the forest, this is also possible in large urban centers”, explains Rolf de Sousa Tambke, Director of Operations at Pioneiro.
So that the electric truck could start operating, EZVolt installed at the Manaus Airport an charger with 1 CCS-2 recharging point, with an output power of 24 kW in direct current, which allows 80% of the truck’s battery to be charged in up to three hours.
This partnership is strategic, since it is the first operation of an electric truck in Latin American aviation. The environmental benefits are clear with the ample elimination of CO2 and other exhaust particles, contributing to a less noisy and more sustainable working environment in airports. It is a performance model with the potential to impact the segment’s entire supply chain.
“The arrival of the electric truck is a seed for the creation of a network of renewable sources. I can already see the airport courtyards full of electric trucks. Besides contributing to the decarbonization of aviation, these trucks will make BR Aviation provide an even better service to its customers,” says Rodrigo Mota, director of aviation at Vibra.
