What the conference revealed about the future of airport energy systems
The Airport Electrification Europe conference made one point absolutely clear. Electrification is already happening across European airports, but the real challenge is no longer the technology. The bottlenecks are the holistic approach to energy infrastructure, the ability to finance large scale infrastructure and the energy management required to make all systems work together. As reported by Roland Berger around fifteen percent of aviation emissions originate directly on the airport site through taxiing, ground operations, vehicle fleets and buildings. As airports work toward climate targets, this part of the emission landscape is becoming a central focus.
Opening Plenary “Airport Electrification Europe”
European Airports Are Already Implementing Large Scale Electrification
Airports across Europe are already moving. Groningen, Umbria, Rotterdam, Brussels, Bologna, Stuttgart, as well as airport operators Swedavia and Avinor presented strategies that combine electrified ground operations, large photovoltaic fields, the replacement of gas heating with electric heat pumps and the introduction of electric mobility for buses, staff vehicles, taxis and rental cars. The examples varied in scale, but the direction was consistent.
Umbria Airport aims for fully electric ground support equipment by 2030 and is building solar capacity to cover the entire airport. Rotterdam has already reduced gas consumption by more than seventy percent, electrified most of its light ground support equipment and is preparing a major solar project, although grid constraints require smart energy systems. Brussels expects to reach net zero for its own operations by 2030 and plans to expand its photovoltaic capacity to around forty five megawatts while building digital energy management tools and reinforcing the grid connection. Bologna is electrifying heating and mobility and expanding solar fields in multiple phases. Stuttgart showed a nearly fully electric turnaround that includes an electric refueller.
Swedavia has operated its airports fossil free since 2020 and aims for fossil free domestic flights by 2030. Avinor, particularly at Stavanger, is preparing for electric aircraft with a combination of solar, battery storage and microgrid capability.
Ground Operations Are Becoming Fully Electric
Many of the technologies required for this transition are already proven. Airlines and ground handlers such as KLM and Swissport demonstrated that fully electric ground handling is feasible.
Equipment manufacturers presented battery based ground power units, mobile and stationary chargers, retrofit options with communication protocols that allow automated charging and power sharing solutions that make better use of the capacity already available at the gates.
WheelTug provides smart solutions for efficient taxiing
Airports in Copenhagen, Düsseldorf and the Avinor network are installing large numbers of AC and DC chargers. AC chargers offer slower and efficient charging for vehicles with longer dwell times, whereas DC chargers deliver high power for quick turnarounds and can reach up to four hundred kilowatts. Smart charging strategies help prevent peak loads on the grid. Green taxiing solutions show significant potential in reducing fuel burn on the ground. Taxiing support systems can reduce emissions from ground movement by up to eighty five percent.
New Aircraft Concepts Are Accelerating the Shift to Electric Aviation
Electric aircraft were also a prominent topic. Vaeridion and AURA AERO presented their concepts for nine to nineteen seat regional aircraft with ranges around four hundred kilometers and charging requirements that reach several megawatts per turnaround. Airports are starting to define categories for electric readiness that structure which airports can host which types of electric aircraft. Stavanger expects the first demonstration flights beginning in 2025.
Vaeridion is developing a nine seater electric Aircraft
Grid Limits, Space Constraints and Missing Standards Slow Progress
Despite growing momentum, the conference made clear that structural challenges remain. Power grids in many European countries are already strained, and additional demand from aircraft charging, electric heating and ground support equipment can create local bottlenecks. Space is another limiting factor because chargers, transformers, stationary storage and electric ground vehicles take up valuable apron and service area capacity.
Standardisation issues add further complexity. Plug types, voltage levels and communication protocols differ across countries and manufacturers, making planning and procurement more difficult and driving up costs. Regulatory requirements for high voltage systems and the need to harmonise procedures among airlines and ground handlers add another layer of operational challenge.
Against this backdrop, airports that developed early energy masterplans are clearly better positioned. They can integrate charging infrastructure, storage systems, photovoltaic generation and grid capacity into a coherent strategy and treat energy as a strategic resource rather than a fixed constraint. The conference showed that electrification affects nearly every part of airport operations, from ground handling to heating and future aircraft charging, and therefore requires long term planning. At the same time, most airports cannot design or finance these systems on their own and often lack in house expertise to plan complex infrastructures, coordinate partners or manage large investments. Collaboration among airports, airlines, equipment manufacturers, utilities and regulators, combined with pilot projects and new financing models, is essential to make large renewable and storage projects viable even at smaller regional sites.
How ALBATROSS Helps Airports Move From Ambition to Implementation
The conference made one point clear. The technical solutions for airport electrification exist, but progress depends on securing clean energy at scale, expanding grid capacity intelligently and coordinating financial investments across stakeholders. Electrification is no longer a technology challenge. The challenge lies in a holistic implementation in terms of planning, financing and operation, always with the airport’s interests at the center. Airports that treat energy as a strategic asset will move fastest.
Most regional airports lack the resources needed to design, size and finance photovoltaic systems, battery storage, charging infrastructure and grid integration. ALBATROSS closes this gap. We convert operational and fleet requirements into precise energy concepts, design and finance the necessary infrastructure and coordinate all relevant partners.
This enables airports to move from ambition to implementation quickly and reliably while preparing for future technologies such as electric regional aircraft and hydrogen systems.
