Aéroports de la Côte d’Azur Group which operates Nice, Cannes-Mandelieu and St Tropez airports has committed itself to becoming carbon-neutral by 2018. The Group has announced it plans to:
- Reduce CO2 emissions of its airport infrastructure per passenger by 50% between 2010 and 2020.
- Only consume electricity produced by 100% renewable sources by all its airports on the Côte d’Azur in 2016.
- Develop direct air routes to replace routes currently operated by major European hubs, generating 10 to 15% savings in kerosene and greenhouse gases.
To date, Nice Côte d’Azur Airport produces 0.388kg CO2 per passenger whereas the global average for equivalent airports is 2kg. Nice Côte d’Azur airport transferred to 100% green energy produced by French hydroelectric power at the beginning of 2015.
“The choice is particularly remarkable considering that, with an annual requirement of 45 GWh (the equivalent of a town with a population of 30,000), the Nice platform is one of the largest consumers in Alpes-Maritimes,” said the Group. “The purchase of hydraulic electricity should make it possible to further lower Nice airport’s current CO2 emissions by 60%. Over 160 organisations switched along with Nice Côte d’Azur airport to fully green, fully renewable electricity.” The aim for 2016 is to do the same at Cannes Mandelieu and Saint-Tropez.
Another first for the Group is the use of ‘pop-out’ electricity supply and air-conditioning system dedicated to business aviation. Used on engine start-up stands, pilots are supplied with energy that considerably reduces the use of auxiliary power units (APUs), thus reducing kerosene consumption while improving air quality and reducing greenhouse gases.
As a result, several hours of use of APUs have been cut, leading to a significant cut in noise and pollution, in response to the demands of local residents. To date, the average residual use of APUs is 15 minutes instead of 30 minutes estimated before the introduction of the integrated system.
In October 2014, Nice Côte d’Azur Airport launched an electric bus experiment. The bus is equipped with ‘boost charge’ technology that allows extremely fast charging of the bus as it travels.
“We aim to continue to reduce our energy consumption by changing mindsets, habits and behaviour,” said Dominique Thillaud, Chairman of the Board of the Aéroports de la Côte d’Azur Group.