Aviation Sustainability and the Environment, CAPA 24-Jan-2020
Headlines
ACI Europe: Industry needs to complement CO2 reduction targets with long-term net-zero ambitions
SAS GM Americas: US market has not 'really seen an impact' from flight shaming
Rolls-Royce CEO: Public believes aviation industry's emissions are 10 times worse than reality
Rolls-Royce CEO warns electrification of aviation is 'not a panacea on its own'
Newcastle International Airport aiming for net zero emissions by 2035
Royal NLR launches EU funded IMOTHEP project
Schiphol Cargo to increase focus on sustainability in 2020
Brussels Charleroi Airport commissions new solar panel system on T2 rooftop
Munich Airport awarded 'A-' climate protection rating from Carbon Disclosure Project
Nice Cote d'Azur Airport advocates for incentive based taxation performance levers
Gdansk Airport performs full 'eco-service' on Wizz Air rotation using all electric equipment
- ACI Europe president emphasizes the need for the aviation industry to have long-term net-zero carbon footprint ambitions alongside current CO2 reduction targets.
- SAS GM Americas states that flight shaming has not had a significant impact on the US market.
- Rolls-Royce CEO warns that the public perception of aviation industry emissions is worse than reality and urges the industry to decarbonize more quickly.
- Newcastle International Airport aims to achieve net zero emissions by 2035 through the use of electric vehicles and encouraging the use of fuel-efficient aircraft.
- Royal NLR launches the IMOTHEP project, a four-year research initiative on hybrid electric propulsion for commercial aviation, funded by the European Commission.
- Munich Airport receives an 'A-' rating for effective climate protection services and aims to reduce CO2 emissions by 60% by 2030.
ACI Europe: Industry needs to complement CO2 reduction targets with long-term net-zero ambitions
ACI Europe president Jost Lammers argued (22-Jan-2020) the aviation industry needs to complement its current CO2 reduction targets with a long-term ambition for net-zero carbon footprint. He commented: "We need to look at and work on every possible effective tool to get to net-zero, from meaningful ATM reform, sustainable aviation fuels, R&D in new propulsion to CORSIA and the EU ETS as well as intermodality. The complexities involved require industry, NGOs and policymakers to closely cooperate more than ever so that we can chart the way forward and deliver". [more - original PR]
SAS GM Americas: US market has not 'really seen an impact' from flight shaming
SAS GM Americas Max Knagge stated: "Sustainability is really important, and it's really high on our agenda", however the US market has not "really seen an impact" regarding flight shame (crankyflier.com, 23-Jan-2020). Mr Knagge said: "If you look at airport stats in Sweden, you can see that travel is down, but it's mostly domestic and short haul where you can use other means of transportation".
Rolls-Royce CEO: Public believes aviation industry's emissions are 10 times worse than reality
Rolls-Royce CEO Warren East cautioned that the general public believes the air travel industry is "10 times worse than we are" in terms of CO2 emissions, and if other sectors move to decarbonise more quickly then "our sector is going to look pretty bad" (Bloomberg, 22-Jan-2020). Mr East said the industry is "in danger of allowing the world to reinforce the misconception that we're the villains of the piece" and warned that the UN will inevitably include aviation under its more ambitious emissions reduction efforts.
Rolls-Royce CEO warns electrification of aviation is 'not a panacea on its own'
Rolls-Royce CEO Warren East said the electrification of aviation is "not a panacea on its own" to deal with the industry's emissions, although it is still too early to tell which technologies will be required to move the industry away from use of fossil fuels (Bloomberg, 22-Jan-2020). Mr East said hybrid-electric technology will be suitable for smaller aircraft in the medium term, but large aircraft and long haul operations will remain dependent on liquid fuels. This means that overcoming economic barriers to scaling up production of sustainable propellants is critical, according to Mr East.
Newcastle International Airport aiming for net zero emissions by 2035
Newcastle International Airport announced (22-Jan-2020) plans to become a net zero emissions airport by 2035. It will introduce a new fleet of electric vehicles over the next 15 years, including passenger and car park buses, as well as improved facilities for customers with electric vehicles. The airport will also liaise with carriers to encourage use of more fuel efficient aircraft, including the A320neo. Newcastle Airport is a member of Sustainable Aviation and will seek to join the ACI Europe Airport Carbon Accreditation Scheme in 2020.
Original report: Newcastle International announces target to become a Net Zero Airport by 2035
Newcastle International has announced its ambitious plans to become a Net Zero emissions airport by 2035.
As the majority of airports across Europe announce their plans to become Net Zero before 2050, the North East's largest airport has set out to bring forward the target date to align with the end date of its Masterplan and its centenary year in 2035.
The Net Zero carbon strategy shows the Airport's commitment to being a good neighbour, as well as taking action to become ever more environmentally friendly.
To help deliver these goals, the Airport will take steps to procure and generate renewable energy as well as shifting to new technologies.
Over the next 15 years, a brand new fleet of electric vehicles will be introduced across the airport, including passenger and car park buses, together with improved facilities for customers with electric vehicles.
As well as this, Newcastle International will be taking action to help stakeholders to reduce carbon emissions from flights by working with airlines to encourage more use of the latest, most efficient aircraft such as the A320 NEO - which already operates at the airport. The NEO aircraft delivers a 15% saving in CO2 emissions.
Newcastle International is a member of Sustainable Aviation, which is made up of airlines, airports, aerospace manufacturers and air traffic service providers to work towards the common goal of cleaner, quieter and smarter aviation.
Nick Jones, Chief Executive at Newcastle International Airport, said: "Decarbonising the Airport before 2035 will be a challenge, but this is something that we feel strongly about.
"Newcastle international Airport is an extremely important asset to the region and we pride ourselves on being a good neighbour. The people of the North East are at the heart of everything we do, so it is vital that we make the changes needed to be able to grow the airport in a sustainable manner that protects the environment we all live and work in."
David Rees, Co-head of Asset Management at AMP Capital, added: "By making such investments into the future of aviation, Newcastle International is leading the way for the industry and we are delighted to see one of our assets making such positive steps.
"We welcome these ambitious plans which also take into account the community that the Airport serves."
Cllr Iain Malcolm, Leader of South Tyneside Council and Lead of the LA7 local authority shareholders, said: "It is fantastic that Newcastle International Airport is leading the way for aviation and contributing to the well-being of the planet with its Net Zero 2035 strategy.
"The Airport's Net Zero strategy aligns closely with the ambitions of the North East to be a low carbon region. Councils and combined authorities across the region have declared climate emergencies. Collectively, we can work to bring about positive change. "
Paul Maynard, Aviation Minister, added: "Newcastle Airport's target of becoming Net Zero by 2035 shows a firm commitment to tackling climate change.
"This impressive environmental ambition is just one of the ways the airport is serving the needs of its community, helping make the UK cleaner, greener and more environmentally-friendly."
In 2020, Newcastle International Airport will seek to join the ACI Europe Airport Carbon Accreditation Scheme.
Royal NLR launches EU funded IMOTHEP project
Royal Netherlands Aerospace Centre (Royal NLR) launched (23-Jan-2020) the four year 'Investigation and Maturation of Technologies for Hybrid Electric Propulsion' (IMOTHEP) research project. The project will research hybrid electric propulsion for commercial aviation and received EUR10.4 million in funding from the European Commission under Horizon 2020. The IMOTHEP project consortium also includes Airbus, Leonardo, Safran, GE Avio, MTU, ITP, GKN, ONERA, CIRA, DLR, AIT, ILOT, INCAS, NLR, Université de Lorraine, ISAE-Sup'Aéro, Strathclyde University, TU Braunschweig, Politecnico di Bari, Chalmers University, University of Nottingham, Bauhaus Luftfahrt, EUROCONTROL and L'Up.
Original report: EU project IMOTHEP kicks off study hybrid electric propulsion
EU project IMOTHEP kicks off study hybrid electric propulsion
Royal NLR with its aviation research and industry partners officially launched the IMOTHEP project in Brussels January 20, an ambitious research initiative on hybrid electric propulsion funded by the European Commission under Horizon 2020.
Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is key for aviation to pursue its development in the service of society and people mobility. This calls for ambitious research and disruptive solutions well beyond the continuous improvement of current aircraft technologies.
Ambition
Lead by the French aerospace research lab ONERA, a consortium of 33 key aviation industry and research stakeholders is engaging in an ambitious research project on hybrid electric propulsion for commercial aviation, a technology that opens a new design space for aircraft and may provide a revolutionary step in improving their efficiency. IMOTHEP (Investigation and Maturation of Technologies for Hybrid Electric Propulsion), a 4-year Research and Innovation Action receives a 10.4 M€ grant from the European Commission under the Horizon 2020 framework program.
IMOTHEP will perform an in-depth investigation of electric technologies for hybrid electric aircraft in close connection with advanced aircraft configurations design and innovative propulsion architectures taking advantages of synergies between propulsion and airframe.
Role of NLR
NLR is involved in four technical work packages. Within the framework of integrated vehicle design, NLR will investigate cooperative tools and multi-disciplinary methods used within design loops to address the impact of new propulsion systems on the configuration design parameters. For the aeropropulsive design and integration, NLR will investigate the 'toolchain' to estimate the performance for distributed electric propulsion. This part is strongly linked to research into new ways of looking at the energy balance, as conventional thrust-and-drag bookkeeping can no longer obvious be determined separately when it comes to distributed propulsion. Concerning the electronic architecture, NLR will coordinate the set-up and integration of a thermal management system for hybrid-electric propulsion aircraft. Furthermore, hybrid-electric propulsion integration requires updated regulations. NLR will cooperate with Leonardo and EASA to identify certification issues and will anticipate on future needs in regulations.
The ultimate goal of the project is to achieve a key step in assessing the potential of hybrid electric propulsion for reducing the emissions of commercial aviation and eventually to build the technology roadmap for its development.
Consortium
The IMOTHEP consortium gathers the major European aircraft manufacturers (Airbus and Leonardo), leading engines manufacturers (Safran, GE Avio, MTU, ITP, and GKN), European aeronautic research organisations from EREA (ONERA, CIRA, DLR, AIT, ILOT, INCAS and NLR), higher education organisations (Université de Lorraine, ISAE/Sup'Aéro, Strathclyde University, TU Braunschweig, Politecnico di Bari, Chalmers University, and University of Nottingham), a think tank (Bauhaus Luftfahrt), an intergovernmental organisation (Eurocontrol), and a consulting company in innovation management (L'Up). IMOTHEP receives support also from EASA as third party.
In addition, IMOTHEP develops international cooperation with Russia, with the involvement of five leading research organisations (CIAM, GosNIIAS, MAI, NRC, TsAGI), as well as with Canada (NRC-CNRC).
Schiphol Cargo to increase focus on sustainability in 2020
Schiphol Cargo stated (23-Jan-2020) it will increase its focus on sustainability in 2020, "to ensure the future of cargo". The company will expand collaboration within the cargo community to develop "smarter and greener freight operations". Director aviation marketing, cargo and customer experience Maaike van der Wind commented: "Sustainability is fundamental for the future success of Amsterdam Airport Schiphol", and the airport aims to be "the smartest and most sustainable cargo hub in Europe".
Original report (extract): Sustainability
As part of the new cargo approach in 2020, AAS will also increase the focus on sustainability to ensure the future of cargo. A key strand of this is to further expand collaboration in the cargo community to develop even smarter and greener freight operations.
"We continue to focus on working together as a community and are focusing on data and digitalization in order to be ready for the years to come in which our ambition is to be a high quality and sustainable airport," said van der Windt.
"Sustainability is fundamental for the future success of Amsterdam Airport Schiphol and with the revision of the Smart Cargo Mainport Program (SCMP), plus the support of our partners, we are confident we can reach our goal of becoming the smartest and most sustainable cargo hub in Europe."
Brussels Charleroi Airport commissions new solar panel system on T2 rooftop
Brussels South Charleroi Airport commissioned (23-Jan-2020) a 2585sqm system of 1560 solar panels on the roof of terminal 2, generating an output of 438Mwh p/a and reducing CO2 by approximately 263 tonnes p/a. Plans to install additional photovoltaic panels are currently being analysed to boost electricity production.
Munich Airport awarded 'A-' climate protection rating from Carbon Disclosure Project
Munich Airport received (23-Jan-2020) an 'A-' rating for effective climate protection services from the Carbon Disclosure Project. The airport aims to reduce CO2 emissions by 60% by 2030 through initiatives such as upgrades to LED technology, with the remaining 40% to be offset through suitable carbon offsetting programmes to reach net-zero emissions by 2050.
Original report: Flughafen München erhält Auszeichnung von der Klimaschutzorganisation CDP
Flughafen München erhält Auszeichnung von der Klimaschutzorganisation CDP.
- CDP würdigt Airport zum dritten Mal für Reduktion der CO2-Emissionen
- 150 Millionen für effektiven Klimaschutz am Flughafen München
- Verträglicher und ressourcenschonender Flughafenbetrieb
Die internationale Klimaschutzorganisation CDP ("Carbon Disclosure Project") hat die Flughafen München GmbH (FMG) erneut für besonders effektive Klimaschutzleistungen ausgezeichnet. Zum dritten Mal in Folge erlangte der Münchner Airport das "Leadership Level" und erhielt in der Kategorie "Climate Change" die Wertung "A-".
CDP erfasst Daten zu den Klimaschutzmaßnahmen von Unternehmen und vergibt dafür Noten zwischen "A" und "D-". Im Jahr 2019 haben sich weltweit insgesamt 8.361 Unternehmen beurteilen lassen. Mit der Bewertung "A-" gehört der Flughafen München zu den besten acht Prozent in seiner Kategorie und hat damit auch im internationalen Vergleich überdurchschnittlich gut abgeschnitten.
Mit der positiven Bewertung honoriert CPD die langjährigen Anstrengungen des Münchner Airports für eine konsequente Reduktion seiner CO2-Emissionen. Durch eine Vielzahl innovativer Maßnahmen sorgt der Flughafen München für einen verträglichen und ressourcenschonenden Flughafenbetrieb, der schrittweise CO2-neutral gestaltet werden soll. Bis zum Jahr 2030 sollen 60 Prozent der CO2-Emissionen aus eigener Kraft durch technische Maßnahmen reduziert und die verbleibenden 40 Prozent durch geeignete "Offsetting"-Maßnahmen, vorzugsweise durch Klimaschutzprojekte in der Flughafenregion, kompensiert werden. Insgesamt investiert der Flughafen München 150 Millionen Euro für dieses ehrgeizige Klimaschutzprogramm. Spätestens bis zum Jahr 2050 will der Flughafen München seine CO2-Emissionen auf Netto-Null absenken.
Zur Erreichung dieses Ziels hat der Flughafen München zum Beispiel die Vorfeldbeleuchtung auf energiesparende LED-Technik umgerüstet und dafür über zwei Millionen Euro aufgewendet. Mit 185.000 LEDs in rund 1.900 Leuchten auf bis zu 34 Meter hohen Lichtmasten entstand am Flughafen München eine der größten LED-Hochmast-Anlagen der Welt, die jedes Jahr zu einer CO2-Einsparung von rund 3.000 Tonnen CO2 führt.
Nice Cote d'Azur Airport advocates for incentive based taxation performance levers
Nice Cote d'Azur Airport chairman Dominique Thillaud, in a report retweeted via the airport's official Twitter account, said (23-Jan-2020) the environment should now be thought of as a performance lever to switch from "punitive taxation" ideas to a logic of ecological competitiveness based on incentives (Les Echos, 23-Jan-2020). He argued two levers should be developed. The first should include a voluntary modulation of airport charges according to the actual environmental footprint of each type of aircraft, providing incentives for airlines to renew their fleets. The second would be to apply an eco-contribution modulation favouring airports that have already achieved carbon neutrality.
Gdansk Airport performs full 'eco-service' on Wizz Air rotation using all electric equipment
Gdansk Lech Walesa Airport announced (22-Jan-2020) ground handling provider Welcome Airport Services performed a full 'eco-service' on Wizz Air's aircraft rotation using electric equipment, including electric conveyor belts and stairs, TLD tractors and electric buses.
Original reporr: W pełni ekologiczna obsługa samolotu w Gdańsku
Po raz pierwszy w Porcie Lotniczym Gdańsk i jako pierwsza w Polsce, firma Welcome Airport Services wykonała pełną ecoobsługę rotacji samolotu linii Wizz Air, wyłącznie przy pomocy sprzętu elektrycznego.
Welcome Airport Services, agent handlingowy obsługujący linie lotnicze na polskich lotniskach, także w Gdańsku, od lat stawia na rozwój pojazdów elektrycznych. W maju 2019 roku informowaliśmy o zakupie elektrycznego autobusu do przewożenia pasażerów. Czytaj TUTAJ
Przy ekologicznej obsłudze samolotu linii Wizz Air w Gdańsku użyto elektrycznych taśmociągów, schodów, ciągników TLD, wypychacza i autobusu elektrycznego Solaris.
Welcome Airport Services w 2020 planuje dalsze zakupy sprzętu elektrycznego, podążając w kierunku ekorozwoju. "Mamy na myśli taką ingerencję w środowisko, która pozytywnie wpływa na nasze samopoczucie, ale też przyniesie zyski środowisku, poprzez oszczędzanie jego bogactw naturalnych. Wierzymy, że dzięki wykorzystywaniu ekologicznego sprzętu, kształtujemy przyszłość lotnisk przyjaznych pasażerom i środowisku naturalnemu" - głosi oświadczenie Welcome Airport Services.