Ground power/fuel beyond diesel
Group Captain Craig Watson MA BEng (Hons) CEng MIMechE RAF
HQ Air Command – Capabilities
The requirement to deliver net zero emissions will necessitatewhole sale replacement or retrofit of hundreds of airbase support equipment types, spanning everything from Atlas Transfer Loaders to portable 5kVAgenerators. For airplatforms,the only viable option willbe the gradual introduction of Sustainable Aviation Fuels(SAF), whichis relatively simple from an equipment perspective as neither theplatform or supporting equipment/infrastructure will require significant modification. Conversely, there are several potentialtechnologies that could power airbase support equipment in future,each with differing attributes, cost and complexity. The production,storage and replenishment of each energy type also present majors challenges for Defence, particularly in the deployed environment.