Organised by Stargate and Pioneers Ports, the event took place in two venues – the Skyhall in Brussels Airport on 3 December and the Queen Elisabeth Hall in Antwerp on 4 December. It brought together industry leaders, policymakers, researcher and innovators to discuss pressing issues and take stock of progress.
Airports and ports are vital links in the global supply chain, connecting different regions and facilitating movement of goods and people. They are also hubs of innovation, driving economic growth. However, both confront similar challenges - how to reduce emissions while remaining competitive? The event offered a valuable opportunity to meet the people behind the projects and discover some of the innovative 'greening' solutions that have been developed in response.
Speaking on the first day, Herald Ruijters, Deputy Director-General at the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport (DG MOVE), highlighted the value of cooperation between the projects to accelerate the green transition in transport: “Airports and ports are vital hubs for passengers and freight across our trans-European transport network. The journey towards sustainability is not one we can embark on alone. Collaboration is key.”
The conference showcased the collective efforts of these five projects. They demonstrated how they are working together to drive innovation and sustainable practices in a wide of areas, from clean fuels to digitisation to greener transport links around the hubs. These pioneering initiatives are already making a significant impact by reducing emissions, enhancing energy efficiency, and improving the overall environmental performance of ports and airports.
Scaling up EU investment
The five projects have benefitted collectively from grants worth €125 million from the EU’s programme for research and innovation, Horizon 2020, managed by the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA).
In the keynote speech on day two, CINEA Director, Paloma Aba Garrote, praised the efforts of the projects: “We are proud today to see the achievements so far, and the successful collaboration between the project partners, researchers, industry, and SMEs. The scale of EU funding allocated to the projects demonstrates our commitment to the low-carbon and digital transport transition, and this can inspire other ports and airports across Europe.”
Many of the project representatives underlined the importance of the EU funding to “get initiatives off the ground” and reduce the risk burden, with the EU “seal of approval” also helping to draw in additional public and private investment. They pointed to the value of working in consortiums and within clusters of similar projects, to draw on complementary expertise, learn from different cultures, and bring a combined message to policymakers.
Arnaud Feist CEO of Brussels Airport, which coordinates the Stargate project, thanked CINEA for the strong collaboration and reminded the audience of how the impact will go beyond the life of the projects: "These projects are more than projects. They are essential for achieving the EU Green Deal. They provide a platform for envisioning the future. And they act as catalysts for further innovation.”
Footprint for the future
One of these innovations highlighted by the TULIPS project is the electrification of its ground power units. To make this happen, project coordinator, Schiphol Airport, is introducing a long-duration energy storage system. Under this system, the current polluting diesel ground power units used to power aircraft parked at airport gates will be phased out and replaced with electric ground power units (E-GPUs). Stargate has also successfully implemented the electrification of ground-handling equipment with consortium partner DHL in Brussels Airport.
Discover many more of the innovations and technological solutions developed by the five projects.
Overall, all projects reiterated their commitment to ensure a legacy and continued collaboration – with the shared goal of steering forward the green transformation “from seas to skies”.
With this in mind, Head of the Transport Research Unit in CINEA, Marcel Rommerts, emphasised the importance of dissemination to ensure the knowledge gained will have a wider impact: “The complex ecosystems of ports and airports present big opportunities to experiment, demonstrate what is possible and inspire other transport hubs. The EU funding is not only for these five projects; it’s for Europe. These projects will leave an important legacy and footprint for the future.”
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Details
- Publication date
- 5 December 2024
- Author
- European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency