State Secretary Stefan Schnorr visits the Airport
The first fully electric ground power units (e-GPUs) have arrived at Cologne Bonn Airport to replace conventional diesel-powered units. Electric buses, passenger stairs, conveyor belts and baggage tractors are already in use on the apron. With a total of ten new e-GPUs, the electrification of mobile ground power supply is now also beginning, with 15 more units to follow over the next year. The very first e-GPUs were officially checked into the fleet at the airport yesterday by Stefan Schnorr, State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Transport, and Thilo Schmid, CEO of Stuttgart Airport.
The purchase of new e-units for ground power supply is being subsidised by the Federal Ministry of Digital and Transport (BMDV) as part of the funding programme for the market activation of alternative technologies for the climate- and environmentally friendly supply of ground power to aircraft at airports (ground power guideline) with a total of more than 2 million euros.
‘The electrification of the apron is an important step on the way to a climate-neutral airport. By purchasing electric units, our airport is further reducing CO2,’ says Thilo Schmid, CEO of Flughafen Köln/Bonn GmbH. “By 2035 at the latest, all vehicles and equipment at Cologne Bonn Airport are to be fully equipped with CO2-neutral drives. We are pleased to receive the appropriate support,” says Schmid.
BMDV State Secretary Stefan Schnorr welcomes the progress towards a climate-neutral airport: ‘The German government is investing in the competitiveness of our airports. With environmentally friendly power generators, we are helping Cologne Bonn Airport to reduce CO2 emissions to zero, reduce noise levels by 20 decibels and improve the working environment for employees. Climate-neutral operations on the apron meet EU requirements. Promoting environmentally and climate-friendly ground power is a sustainable investment in a strong aviation sector in Germany.’
Until now, conventional ground support equipment has been used at Cologne Bonn Airport on the parking positions that cannot be supplied with power directly at the passenger boarding bridges. Ground power units (GPUs) provide the power for electrical devices on board an aircraft when the auxiliary power unit on the aircraft is switched off.
The use of ground power units reduces noise and exhaust pollution at the airport, as well as fuel consumption and wear and tear on the aircraft's auxiliary power unit. Electric variants (e-GPUs) reduce CO2 emissions even further. They are quieter, rechargeable, emission-free and are used on remote apron positions away from buildings. The replacement of the GPUs has now begun and the transformation will continue step by step.
The airport's sustainable mobility concept includes all modes of transport and also takes a close look at movement on the campus. It was launched in 2022 and aims to expand the e-charging infrastructure across the board in the near future. Important topics include the optimal networking of different modes of transport, the simplest possible, flexible, digital use and a wide range of sustainable transport options.
Climate protection has been on the airport's agenda for more than a decade. The airport aims to be completely carbon neutral by 2045 at the latest.
With the ground power directive, the BMDV is supporting the transformation from fossil fuels to a climate-neutral power supply for aircraft on the ground.
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