United Airlines planes sit on the tarmac at San Francisco International Airport on April 18, 2018 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) United Airlines planes sit on the tarmac at San Francisco International Airport on April 18, 2018 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) Photo: Justin Sullivan, Staff / Getty Images United Airlines planes sit on the tarmac at San Francisco International Airport on April 18, 2018 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) United Airlines planes sit on the tarmac at San Francisco International Airport on April 18, 2018 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) Shell Aviation to reduce carbon footprint of refueling planes Refueling planes typically requires a diesel engine, but Shell Aviation is testing an electric alternative to help airports reduce their carbon footprint. This electric pump jet refueling vehicle still requires a diesel engine to move around the airport, but it turns off that engine and uses an electric system while actually pumping fuel into a plane. The system is being tested at Stuttgart Airport in Germany. RELATED: Stakes are sky high for turning trash into jet fuel "We are excited about the potential for electric pump jet refuelers to help reduce the carbon footprint of airports," Anne Anderson, vice president of Shell Aviation, said in the news release. "We are hopeful that this pilot programme at Stuttgart Airport will prove successful and these vehicles will have an important role to play in airports of the future." The pilot is expected to reduce diesel consumption by 2,200 liters. After this testing period, Shell Aviation will assess opportunities to deploy the technology across its refueling network of about 850 airports in 32 countries, including the Sugar Land Regional Airport. The electric pump jet refueling vehicle was developed by Esterer, a manufacturer of aircraft refuelers, with input from Shell Aviation.
Shell Aviation is developing an electric alternative to the conventional diesel engines used for aircraft refuelling. The company is testing a vehicle at Stuttgart Airport in Germany that uses diesel to drive around the airport but which switches to an electric system for the refuelling. In addition to its own website, Shell has also launched a website called ShellEnergy.com, where it describes itself as “the world’s largest supplier of renewable energy and clean energy.”