The European Investment Bank (EIB) and Aeroportos de Portugal (ANA) have signed a €50 million contract on introducing low-carbon infrastructure at nine airports in mainland Portugal and the Portuguese islands. Falling under the EIB’s climate action and environmental sustainability priorities, this initiative with a total cost of more than €100 million is part of ANA’s sustainability programme, which aims to achieve carbon neutrality in its scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2030 and support the transition of its partners.
This programme includes the implementation of energy supply and air conditioning systems for parked aircraft, which by switching off their engines will reduce fuel consumption and emissions. Including the installation of electric charging points for ground vehicles, the project will revolutionise the operational environment at Portuguese airports. The project covers around 135 aeroplane parking spots and 600 charging points. Seven photovoltaic projects with an installed capacity of 12.8 MWp will be implemented for use at ANA airports, which will have a significant impact on reducing their carbon footprint.
“This initiative is fully in line with the EIB’s commitment to support climate action and environmental sustainability. In addition to improving the operational resilience and safety of infrastructure in the Portuguese airport network, the project will make a major contribution to cutting carbon emissions,” said EIB Director of Operations for Spain and Portugal Gilles Badot. “We are proud to support ANA in this transition to a sustainable future.”
“This initiative reinforces our net-zero commitment for 2030 at our airports, in areas 1 and 2, promoting the decarbonisation of the sector and positive mobility. At ANA and VINCI Airports, we are acting quickly with our partners to achieve the best environmental results. We are grateful for the support of the EIB, which will bring significant environmental and operational benefits,” said ANA's Chief Executive Officer Thierry Ligonnière, who also highlighted the support shown by the Portuguese government when applying for the EU programme.
The project will be implemented over the next two years and should receive support from the Connecting Europe Facility Transport Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Facility (CEF-T-AFIF). This initiative is part of ANA's overall strategy to electrify its airport ground operations by replacing internal combustion engine vehicles and external power generators for planes with more sustainable solutions.
This partnership highlights the EIB’s role in financing sustainable transport and infrastructure projects supporting the European Union’s policy goals and contributing to the European Green Deal and the sustainable and smart mobility strategy. The electrification of ground operations is considered the most efficient way to considerably reduce carbon emissions in the aviation sector.
Background information
About the European Investment Bank
The European Investment Bank (EIB) is the EU’s long-term financing institution owned by its Member States. It makes finance available for sound investment in order to contribute towards EU policy goals. EIB projects bolster competitiveness, drive innovation, promote sustainable development, enhance social and territorial cohesion, and support a just and swift transition to climate neutrality.
The European Investment Bank Group (EIB Group) – comprising the European Investment Bank (EIB) and European Investment Fund (EIF) – signed a total of €2.1 billion in financing in Portugal in 2023. Almost half of this financing went to supporting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and mid-caps. The EIB Group signed a total of €88 billion in new financing in 2023.
About ANA
Aeroportos de Portugal (ANA), which manages ten airports in Portugal, became part of the VINCI Airports network in September 2013. It manages airports on the Portuguese mainland (Lisbon, Porto, Faro and Beja) and in the Azores (Ponta Delgada, Horta, Flores and Santa Maria) and Madeira (Madeira and Porto Santo). More information is available at www.ana.pt
About VINCI Airports
The world's leading private airport operator, VINCI Airports operates more than 65 airports in 12 countries in Europe, Asia and the Americas. Thanks to its expertise as a global integrator, VINCI Airports develops, finances, builds and manages airports by providing its investment capacity and its know-how in optimising operational performance, modernising infrastructure and managing operations and environmental transition. VINCI Airports is the first airport operator to have committed to a global international environmental strategy in 2016, to achieve the goal of net-zero emissions across its entire network by 2050.