Nice Côte d’Azur installs a hundred electric vehicle charging terminals in its public car parks, in pursuit of its decarbonisation commitments

By the end of June, just short of 80 electric vehicle charging terminals will be deployed in the airport’s public car parks, in line with an ongoing deployment schedule that kicked off in February 2022 with the G2 car park. As a result, in time for the start of the summer holidays, passengers will benefit from:

- 45 charging terminals in the P5 car park, including 4 in spaces reserved for people with reduced mobility;
- 18 charging terminals in the P6 car park, including 2 in spaces reserved for people with reduced mobility;
- 12 charging terminals in the G2 car park, including 2 in spaces reserved for people with reduced mobility;
- 2 charging terminals in the G1 car park adjoining Terminal 1.

The Terminal 1 network will be boosted by the end of the year, with around 20 more charging terminals located in the P2 and P3 adjoining car parks.

An equivalent system for professional users (taxis and private-hire vehicles (with driver)) is under consideration, but some adjustments are needed due to the specific constraints affecting this type of user.

“Since 2010, Nice Côte d’Azur Airport has become more and more electric and less emissions-intensive every year, in an entirely seamless way for passengers. As a laboratory for the airport of the future, we have tested and adopted a host of solutions geared to cutting our greenhouse gas emissions and those of the aircraft that use our hub. Our Level 4+ Airport Carbon Accreditation reflects and endorses that progress,” summed up Franck Goldnadel, CEO, Aéroports de la Côte d’Azur.

A comprehensive range of carbon-cutting measures

Supplied exclusively with 100% French renewable electricity since 2015, the airport has set up a host of solutions geared to reducing its environmental footprint. Back in 2016, Nice Airport became the first in France to install and impose the use of electric charging terminals (pop-up) for private aircraft parked on its runways, to limit the use of noisy, emissions-intensive auxiliary power units. The airport then deployed gangways with a 400 Hz power supply for commercial aircrafts on stopover, with the same goal. These measures, together with improved approach phases and more fluid taxiing of aircrafts at the runway threshold, have reduced aircraft emissions during the LTO (Landing and Take-Off) cycle by more than 20%.

Around the terminals, local residents and passengers are now well accustomed to taking a tram into the city centre - a low-carbon mobility solution backed by the airport, which provided funding for the work required on its site. In a similar vein, since 2019, the shuttles connecting terminals and car parks have also been 100% electric. Lastly, airport staff are encouraged to use rechargeable electric or hybrid vehicles for their journey to and from work, with a network of charging terminals made available free of charge. For the more athletically-inclined, electric bikes have been available for several months.

Inside the airport terminals, heating and air conditioning systems no longer use the old fuel-fired boilers and now operate using an innovative energy recovery system with zero fossil fuels.

Lastly, Aéroports de la Côte d’Azur supports the growth of electric aviation, looking beyond flying clubs to its eventual use for inter-regional passenger flights. As proof of its pledge, it hosted the first 100% electric flight carrying a head of state in September 2021, going on to present the model - a Pipistrel Velis Electro - to users of Cannes-Mandelieu Airport.

“Energy from renewable sources is one of the main levers for decarbonising airport activities. In addition to investing in reforestation initiatives around our hubs, we are keen to progress even more quickly along that trajectory, to become carbon neutral without offsetting within the next 8 years, in line with our commitments,” Franck Goldnadel explained.

Since October 2022, Aéroports de la Côte d’Azur has been following an energy sobriety plan that reduces the amount of energy consumed annually by its infrastructure by 10%.