Company insight
compensated, and the airlines can communicate that they are putting pressure on their partners, such as handling companies, to deliver a green product.
For a handling company, this is surely unwanted pressure on a sector that is already struggling to make ends meet. But if the handlers take the lead and add green GSE to their offering, this can be the differentiator that wins them contracts. Greener and more electric equipment can cost more in the capex phase, but the time it takes to see payback versus conventional diesel or gasoline-driven vehicles is short. Therefore, it makes sense for handling companies to adopt a strategy for greener solutions in both the short and long-term, all the better to maximise their green potential and credentials, while also maximising the financial savings they would make the sooner they get started and the longer they maintain their advance into a greener future.
A green change is inevitable: the right investment is necessary Many airports are lagging behind when it comes to infrastructure around electric vehicles, but also in this area there has also been a recent strong trend towards adopting new charging solutions. While airport authorities obviously lost a lot of money during the pandemic, most of them understand that they must speed up their green investments to keep passengers coming and their customers very happy.
Vestergaard Company offers a fully-electric lavatory servicing units.
“Greener and more electric equipment can cost more in the capex phase, but the time it takes to see payback versus conventional diesel or gasoline- driven vehicles is short.”
So, the necessary investments will ultimately happen, and airport customers need to put pressure on the authorities to get moving. As an example, Copenhagen Airport has set a deadline of 2030 where all equipment must be free of fossil fuels. That means if operators purchase anything but electric, that equipment will not be allowed to operate in the airport after 2029. Vestergaard Company now has
a series of electric water and lavatory units operating around the world. In 2021 the first electric de-icers hit the market, and for the coming winter season, a number of major airports will start operating electrically. The first Vestergaard Company electric de-icer is the Elephant e-BETA – a plug- in hybrid de-icer on a conventional Volvo chassis. It can be operated fully electric, or the diesel engine can be used to charge the battery if airport charging infrastructure is insufficient. The next electric de-icer in line was the Elephant e-Mini MY Lite, launched in 2022, which is primarily suited for smaller operations. Within the next year, a fully electric Elephant BETA will be launched on an electric chassis following Vestergaard Company’s ambitious CSR- goal of complete CO2
-neutral ground
handling by 2030 – environmentally and socially responsible, while confidently embracing an inevitable green change without hesitation. ●
The Vestergaard Company Elephant e-BETA electric de-icer sits on a conventional Volvo chassis. Future Airport /
www.futureairport.com
www.vestergaardcompany.com 15
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