Aircraft refueler provider Rampmaster has delivered the first fully electrified 5,000-gallon jet tanker in the U.S. to Signature Aviation at Eagle County Regional Airport (KEGE) in Vail, Colorado. Last year, a converted refueler went into service at France’s Toulon Hyères Airport (LFTH).
Rampmaster manufactures its equipment with a modular design, and its E-lectric Vehicle Refueler replaces the truck’s standard diesel engine with an electric motor. The aircraft refueler features a Lithium battery-powered hydraulic pump. With a full DC charge in less than two hours, the system—which provides an optimum battery operating temperature of 76 degrees Fahrenheit—supports eight hours of continuous pumping.
Signature is the world’s largest FBO chain, and its KEGE facility was its first to achieve net-zero carbon emissions in 2022. Among the factors allowing that was the adoption of solar power, the initiation of a continuous sustainable aviation fuel supply chain to the location, and fleet and facility upgrades that established a 15 percent decrease in fossil fuel emissions.
“The introduction of the aviation industry’s first zero-emissions electric jet refueler is another transformative step towards our net-zero goals using our innovation testbed at Signature Vail,” said company COO Brad Williams. “Our collaboration with Rampmaster exemplifies how we’re working with our partners and guests to research, invest, and bring to market innovative technologies to help create a more sustainable future in aviation.”