Cologne Bonn Airport is actively advancing the development of climate-friendly infrastructure and the use of renewable energy through an extensive package of measures. As part of five new sustainability projects, the airport is investing €33.25 million. These include further electrifying aircraft handling on the aprons, extensively expanding charging stations for electric vehicles, and procuring new electric equipment. For this innovative package of measures, the airport will receive a record €9.75 million in funding from the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA). The airport submitted the application together with five other European locations under the leadership of Airports Council International Europe (ACI). It will now receive the highest level of funding under the ACI initiative for its project package.
“The expansion of modern energy and charging infrastructure, together with the steadily increasing use of emission-free technology, is making our operations more climate-friendly step by step, while also strengthening the performance of our site,” says Thilo Schmid, Chairman of the Management Board of Flughafen Köln/Bonn GmbH.
Managing Director Cenk Özöztürk explains: “For our airport operations, these measures represent a noticeable boost in modernisation. We are systematically further developing our aviation infrastructure, electrifying key areas and continuously expanding the integration of renewable energy.”
Five key measures will be implemented at Cologne Bonn Airport: 38 additional charging points for electric vehicles and electrically powered equipment will be installed on the aprons. This project also includes the construction and expansion of transformers. As part of the second measure, 86 further charging stations for electric mobility will be installed across the rest of the airport site. In addition, further charging points for electric buses will be installed.
The third project involves integrating two planned agri-photovoltaic systems into the airport’s electricity grid. In addition, a total of 16 Pre-Conditioned Air (PCA) units will be installed at the two terminals, allowing aircraft at their parking positions to be heated or cooled with their auxiliary power units switched off. As part of the fifth measure, 15 additional electrically powered ground power units (e-GPUs) will be procured to replace conventional diesel units.
All measures will contribute to reducing CO₂e emissions at the airport. Once the projects have been completed, approximately 6,000 tonnes of CO₂e are expected to be saved each year. Together, these measures will strengthen the airport’s ongoing, wide-ranging sustainability activities.
The projects are being funded under CINEA’s “Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) Transport” programme. Through this initiative, the European Union supports the establishment and further development of infrastructure for alternative fuels along the trans-European transport network. Funding is provided for investments in high-performance infrastructure for climate-friendly energy sources, including powerful electrical infrastructure at airports. The first half of the funding will be paid out in the first quarter of 2026, with the second half to follow upon completion of all projects, scheduled for the final quarter of 2028. In addition to Cologne/Bonn, the airports of Stuttgart, Graz, Vienna, Milan and Košice, as well as Evia Aero GmbH, are also part of the ACI group of award recipients.
Further information on sustainability and Cologne Bonn Airport’s sustainability reports can be found here.