Delta, CTE Work Together To Reduce GSE Carbon Emissions At ATL
Atlanta, GA – May 15, 2013 – CTE and Delta Air Lines recently partnered on a project to repower 35 diesel ground support equipment to all-electric units.
The project, in cooperation with EPA Region 4, and in partnership with Clean Cities Atlanta, was a collaboration of corporate, government, non-profit, and community-based partners and demonstrates a continued commitment to sustainability and emission reduction.
Conversion of the GSE units was completed in February. Hercules Engine Components repowered 24 TUG Belt Loaders, JBT Corporation repowered 11 FMC Container Loaders, while Averest, Inc. supplied the batteries for the converted units.
The repowering process included removal of the existing diesel engine, fuel tank, transmission, and cooling system and replacing them with an electric drive motor, battery pack, and electric control system. Once underway, conversion of each container loader took less than three weeks while conversion of each belt loader took less than one week.
The repowered units were placed into operation at the LEED-certified 12-gate International Terminal F, at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, where each gate is equipped with electric chargers that can support the upgraded GSE.
Over the life of the equipment, the project is expected to reduce over 11,500 tons of greenhouse gases and expected to provide a reduction of over 1 million gallons of diesel fuel.
The project partners anticipate that, by converting these units and creating awareness about the cost and emission reduction advantages of these technologies, other airlines will follow, creating a market shift toward electric GSE.
This project was funded through a $1.4 million grant from the US EPA under the National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program, through the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA).
The goal of the National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program is to achieve significant reductions in diesel emissions in terms of tons of pollution produced and diesel emissions exposure, particularly from fleets operating in areas that are not in attainment with national air quality standards.
About the CTE
The Center for Transportation and the Environment (CTE) is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organization that facilitates programs to develop technologies and implement solutions for energy and environmental sustainability. Since its founding in 1993, CTE has managed a portfolio of more than $225 million in federal, state, and local cost-shared research, development, and demonstration projects involving more than 200 organizations in the advanced transportation technology field.
About Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines serves more than 160 million customers each year. Headquartered in Atlanta, Delta employs nearly 80,000 employees worldwide and operates a mainline fleet of more than 700 aircraft. The airline is a founding member of the SkyTeam global alliance and participates in the industry's leading trans-Atlantic joint venture with Air France-KLM and Alitalia. Including its worldwide alliance partners, Delta offers customers more than 15,000 daily flights, with hubs in Amsterdam, Atlanta, Cincinnati, Detroit, Memphis, Minneapolis-St. Paul, New York-LaGuardia, New York-JFK, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Salt Lake City and Tokyo-Narita. Delta is investing more than $3 billion in airport facilities and global products, services and technology to enhance the customer experience in the air and on the ground. Additional information is available on delta.com, Twitter @Delta, Google.com/+Delta and Facebook.com/delta.
About Hercules Engine Components
Formed in 1999, Hercules Engine Components LLC has a worldwide base of over 50 distributors and 20 major OEM’s. Building on a long and successful history working with heavy-duty engines, Hercules focuses in the airline ground support industry specializing in baggage tow tractors as well as belt loaders. As a repower specialist, Hercules has the ability to develop economic alternatives for servicing the engine needs of ground support equipment.
About JBT Corporation
JBT Corporation (NYSE: JBT) is a leading global technology solutions provider to the food processing and air transportation industries. JBT Corporation designs, manufactures, tests and services technologically sophisticated systems and products for domestic and international air transportation customers through its JBT AeroTech segment. For more information please visit www.jbtcorporation.com or www.jbtaerotech.com.
About Averest, Inc.
Averest, Inc specializes in providing electric power solutions for airline ground support equipment. Partnering with leading manufacturers of industrial batteries and industrial chargers, Averest is leading the way towards a cleaner environment by offering technically sound electric power solutions which replace internal combustion engines in airline ground support equipment.
About Clean Cities Atlanta
Designated the first “Clean City” by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) in 1993, Clean Cities–Atlanta (CC-A) serves as the central coordinating point for alternative fuel vehicle (AFV) activities in the metro Atlanta area. Through this partnership with DOE’s Clean Cities Program, the coalition of federal, state and local agencies, utilities, public interest groups, and public and private fleets promote the use of alternatives to gasoline and diesel fuel in cars, trucks, and buses.
