Frankfurt am Main Airport is the first airport in the world to test the use of sustainable asphalt on its apron, using biological bitumen made from cashew shells instead of the traditional petroleum-based bitumen.
In collaboration with the startup B2Square, a 200-meter-long test track is being built to test the innovative material under real conditions. This so-called bio-bitumen has a lower CO₂ footprint because cashew shells contain biogenic carbon compounds that are bound in a special process in a climate-neutral way. The test section will be regularly checked for resilience and durability over the next two years. The aim is to make the airport more climate-friendly by reducing environmentally harmful emissions and promoting sustainable alternatives.
The test track will be covered with two different types of asphalt - conventional and bio-asphalt - in parallel in order to evaluate their differences and potential advantages for other areas of the airport. If the test is successful, Fraport intends to use the material more intensively in the future in order to reduce its CO₂ emissions to zero by 2045. This measure is part of Fraport's sustainability strategy and the Airport Carbon Accreditation Program, which was co-founded in 2008.
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