Equipment

Royal Schiphol Group invests in new electric ground power units (E-GPUs)

Royal Schiphol Group is investing in new electric ground equipment for aircraft handling purposes, with Amsterdam Airport Schiphol and other Schiphol Group airports  already using several electric ground power units (E-GPU).

Schiphol designed the mobile E-GPUs in collaboration with ITW GSE and Nissan, and after undergoing successful testing at the airport, five of these units are now used by Schiphol. Including Eindhoven Airport, Rotterdam The Hague Airport and Brisbane Airport, in which Schiphol also has an interest, of which all commissioned one E-GPU.

E-GPUs provide on-the-ground aircraft with energy, replacing the diesel variant. The purchase of the E-GPUs joins the ‘Smart & Sustainable’ action plan and climate agreement by reducing the CO2 emissions of Dutch airports. The E-GPUs are used for aircraft situated on an apron rather than directly at the terminal. As a result, they supplement the Fixed Electrical Ground Power (FEGP), which is used to handle aircraft at 73 of the 127 aircraft stands at Schiphol.

Electricity has replaced diesel for aircraft at Royal Schiphol Group airports

The Smart & Sustainable action plan, presented by the aviation industry in October, sets various goals which ensure terminals, offices and ground operations of Dutch airports are climate-neutral by 2030. E-GPUs will help to achieve this goal.

The E-GPUs reduce CO2 emissions by 90% and NOx emissions by 95% in comparison to the diesel variant. E-GPUs will be equipped with recycled batteries which have already been used in cars for several years because the current generation of car batteries are powerful enough to give a second life for electric ground equipment.

Apart from the E-GPUs, electric ground equipment has been used at Schiphol for quite some time. The airport already uses electric buses on the apron, electric pushback trucks, electric aircraft staircases powered by solar panels and electric or hybrid cars.

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