FUSO blog article – Sustainable strategy

For one and a half years now, Berlin Brandenburg Airport GmbH has been relying on electromobility as part of its sustainability strategy for the handling of its internal waste and disposal logistics – as it turns out, this is exactly the right job for the FUSO eCanter 7C18e.

In calendar year 2024, 25.5 million passengers used the capital airport BER. This is made possible by around 20,000 employees, including the approximately 2,000 direct employees of the Berlin Brandenburg airport company, or FBB for short. “This is comparable to the population of a medium-sized small town, which is still visited by more than two dozen million passengers,” says Artur Heldt, Head of Waste Management at FBB, with a knowledgeable grin. What he also knows: Where there are people, there is waste. “We call it waste, the official term in the Circular Economy Act. This is because here at the BER, there are constantly new initiatives for avoidance in all areas, sorting as cleanly as possible and intensive recycling always before final disposal,” he confirms.

A look at the balance sheets shows that the waste management sector has handled a total of almost 3,300 tonnes of waste during the said period, divided into 39 types known as fractions. Smooth, flexible, fast, effective and efficient intra-company logistics is a must in view of these figures. The fact that it has been operating purely electrically since May 2024 is also fully in line with the airport’s sustainability strategy. “We are already used to electromobility thanks to the car pool for employees, so I thought in the course of a new acquisition that this would have to be possible with an electric truck,” recalls Artur Heldt.

Electric mobility predestined for the requirements of the airport

One thing was clear: a diesel vehicle should not be used again, because they are not used to full capacity on the short routes and are therefore too maintenance-intensive. After detailed analysis, the key data was clear: 7.5-tonne truck, minimum 70 kilometres per day range, box body with 1-tonne tail lift, at least 2 tonnes payload plus around 25 cubic metres of load volume for a wide range of containers. “I have to admit, FUSO wasn’t on my screen at first,” says the waste specialist, “but compared to other providers, I found that thanks to its many configuration options, I was able to tailor the eCanter exactly to our needs. That’s just perfect.” Meanwhile, the eCanter 7C18e has been on the airport grounds for one and a half years, has already been around all seasons and runs flawlessly.

Compared to other providers, I found that thanks to its many configuration options, I was able to tailor the eCanter exactly to our needs. That’s just perfect.

Artur Heldt, Head of Waste Management at FBB

FUSO eCanter with battery pack M proves to be the best choice

The job is demanding, as waste disposal at the BER takes place 365 days a year, in two-shift operation from six a.m. to 10 p.m. in the evening. including public holidays. The eCanter leaves the company’s waste management yard with empty containers and exchanges them for full containers at the designated waste collection points. To achieve this, he covers an average of 70 kilometres a day. “60 percent of the trips are daily recurring. There are also 40 percent of orders where a department or department commissions us with extra disposal,” explains Artur Heldt.

The standard fractions are mainly produced. paper, cardboard, glass, plastic packaging and residual waste. This also includes food leftovers from restaurants and canteens, biodegradable waste, but also things such as file shredders from the offices, scrap, bulky waste and much more. For example, aerosol cans or batteries and other items whose journey ends at the hand baggage check. Special containers with hazardous waste such as waste oil or collected residues from aircraft turbine cleaning are also on the list and special requests often come from customs. “If they seize something that is not allowed to be imported, exotic plants, seeds, animal products, then we take them directly to a corresponding external disposal plant in the Berlin area,” explains Artur Heldt and adds, “which is why we chose the M battery package with two batteries and a range of up to 140 kilometres for the eCanter, even though package S would have been sufficient for us in theory. But this way we always have a buffer for such cases and only have to charge every two days in daily operation.”

Driving on the BER is special, but the eCanter makes it easy

While the eCanter is obviously exactly the right electric truck for the job in waste management at the BER, the job as a driver also entails a few specific requirements. The eCanter not only drives to waste collection points on the publicly accessible land side, but also to those on the so-called air side behind the security control. Every employee who has access to it requires a complete security clearance. This reliability check is carried out by the aviation security authority and links background information about the person from various authorities such as the police, constitutional protection and the Federal Criminal Office. Anyone travelling with a vehicle on the supply roads of the apron also needs a special airport driving licence with theoretical and practical lessons, as well as an examination. Incidentally, there is of course a flash in the run-up to the event.

Gordon Bergerhoff brings approval, a special driver’s licence and a gentle foot on the accelerator pedal. The Berliner has been working at the BER since 2019, before that he worked for a large local waste disposal company for 16 years. Although the driver misses the rich rumbling of his V8 from the time a little in the eCanter, he can’t complain about the dynamic start of the eTruck. Even if he/she can’t always try it out, see Speed limit in front. Switching to electric was not difficult for him. “Like Artur, I already knew this from Car-Pool and think the eCanter is just like a computer. You have to wait briefly until the system has booted up. Once you’ve mastered that, it’s not all witchwork. It’s as easy to drive as a car. Manoeuvrable and compact,” says Gordon Bergerhoff, adding that “electromobility and the eCanter are very well suited for plannable use at the airport.”

BER aims for CO2-neutral airport operations in the future

Electromobility is only one part of the airport society’s ambitious sustainability goals. Sabine Deckwerth, FBB press spokesperson, puts it very clearly: “We are pursuing the goal of reducing emissions in our direct sphere of influence by at least 65 percent by 2030 compared to the comparison year 2010. We want to achieve CO2-neutral airport operations by 2045 at the latest. This corresponds to the goals of the German Federal Government and the goals of the German Transport Airports Working Community. FBB has two sustainability managers who are responsible for these topics and who work together with the specialist departments to advance them.”

The measures include, for example, own photovoltaic systems on suitable buildings and areas or the conversion to economical LED lighting in the terminals. Even the lighting, the thousandsof different lights to guide the pilots, is now state-of-the-art LED technology. This has already saved over a million kilowatt hours of electricity per year. By the end of 2024, the BER was already able to reduce the CO2 emissions in its area of responsibility by almost 50 percent compared to the aforementioned comparison year.

We are pursuing the goal of reducing emissions in our direct sphere of influence by at least 65 percent by 2030 compared to the comparison year 2010. We want to achieve CO2-neutral airport operations by 2045 at the latest.

Sabine Deckwerth, FBB press spokesperson

Electromobility is an integral part of the BER’s sustainability strategy

However, it is important that FBB is “only” responsible for the infrastructure. This refers to all buildings and the technical facilities of the terminals, the apron and the runways. “We are continuously reducing the CO2 emissions we generate ourselves and those generated by purchased energy,” explains Sabine Deckwerth, but at the same time emphasises, “the sustainability of the aircraft, their drives and fuels is the task of the respective airline. Nevertheless, as FBB, we always keep an eye on the bigger picture and, for example, enable the ground transport service providers that handle the aircraft to use more and more electric vehicles by installing charging points everywhere in the field.” Currently, it is only in the aviation security area 127, including hyper-chargers for large devices in a charging hub, which can be expanded further if necessary. In any case, FBB also wants to further expand its own electric mobility – the acquisition of a second identical eCanter for facility management is already being planned.