Athens International Airport (AIA) is one of approximately 200 airports that committed, during the 29th General Assembly of the International Airports Council of Europe (ACI Europe) in June 2019, to achieving net-zero carbon emissions from their operations by 2050 at the latest.
AIA “Eleftherios Venizelos” has already made significant progress toward this goal, with related actions beginning as early as 2009 (Airport Carbon Accreditation program), which among other initiatives includes the establishment of the largest photovoltaic park in Greece. {1}
However, recognizing the need for more immediate actions, AIA adopted a more ambitious initiative to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2025 (Route 2025 Initiative {2}), which was further supported by its participation in the European Horizon 2020 project STARGATE.
The company “Lever – Development Consultants S.A.”, a member of the Samaras & Partners Group, had the opportunity to actively participate in this important effort by supporting AIA “Eleftherios Venizelos” in promoting environmentally friendly transportation.
Specifically, Lever supported the airport by preparing the following:
A study on the renewal of the airport’s ground vehicle fleet with fully electric vehicles or vehicles using sustainable fuels. More than 120 vehicles across 25 different categories were analyzed regarding their operational needs, specialized equipment, and charging profiles to design a new operationally equivalent fleet.
A study on the installation of charging infrastructure for airport vehicles, employees, and visitors in every parking area, following the standards of Electric Vehicle Charging Plans.
A life cycle analysis for the financial and environmental evaluation of the investment.
Guidelines for transforming the airport’s maintenance workshop (staff training, new equipment) to support electric vehicle servicing.
