Brussels, December 6, 2024
The OLGA Project, an initiative funded by the European Commission under the Horizon 2020 programme, presented a series of innovative solutions for greener, more sustainable airport operations at the Seas to Skies Conference, held at Brussels Airport and the Queen Elisabeth Hall in Antwerp. The two-day event brought together key stakeholders from the aviation and maritime industries, showcasing how the EU Green Deal projects are accelerating the green transition in Europe’s transport sectors.
The OLGA Project, along with other EU Green Deal initiatives like MAGPIE, PIONEERS, TULIPS, and STARGATE, aims to reduce carbon emissions, improve energy efficiency, and enhance sustainability across European airports and ports. The OLGA team presented a series of solutions that are already making a significant impact in the quest to create greener airports, improve air quality, and meet the EU’s ambitious climate goals.
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Innovative Energy Efficiency Solutions at Paris Aéroport – Charles de Gaulle (CDG)
Laurine Feinberg, a specialist in ventilation, heating, and cooling at Paris Aéroport – Charles de Gaulle (CDG), presented a set of innovative projects aimed at enhancing energy efficiency at both CDGand Orly airports. These solutions, part of the OLGA project, are designed to optimise airport operations while reducing carbon footprints.
Key Highlights:
Smart Apron Lighting: By optimising lighting at aircraft stands using tower data, this system is expected to deliver 10-20% additional energy savings on already achieved lighting optimisations.
Versatile Terminal Lighting: The new prototypes use human-centric lighting and sustainable materials (bioplastics, recycled aluminium), offering 30% energy savings over conventional LED and 50% savings over fluorescent lighting.
Upgraded Pre-Boarding Bridge Glazing: Replacing single-glazed panels with passive silk-screen glazing reduces summer cooling needs by over 50%.
Solar-Powered Boarding Bridges: A pioneering proof of concept featuring solar panels and battery storage supplies 25% of the electricity required for medium-sized aircraft.
While these projects face challenges such as high costs and regulatory complexities, they represent forward-thinking solutions that push the envelope for sustainable, energy-efficient airport operations.
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Real-Time Air Modelling System (RTAMS) for Air Quality and Decarbonisation
Nicolas Pernet presented an innovative dashboard created by IFP Energies nouvelles, ENVISA, and SITA, as part of the OLGA project. This dashboard is designed to monitor air quality in airport areas and explore decarbonisation scenarios.
Key Features:
The Real-Time Air Modelling System (RTAMS) estimates emissions from aircraft, ground service equipment, and road traffic using advanced methodologies and GIS data.
The dashboard provides Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), scenario analysis (e.g., adoption of electric vehicles, sustainable fuels), and pollutant concentration maps, all aimed at enabling informed decision-making to improve environmental performance at airports.
Current efforts are focused on expanding RTAMS to more airports to extend its impact and improve air quality monitoring across the network.
Advancing Intermodality at Charles de Gaulle Airport
Yannael Billard from Groupe ADP shared how Charles de Gaulle Airport is making significant progress in improving intermodality to ensure seamless transitions between rail and air travel. The project has benefited greatly from the support of the OLGA Project and the European Commission.
Key Learnings and Progress:
Infrastructure is Fundamental: Efficient interconnection and modal shifts cannot happen without solid infrastructure. This includes integration of high-speed rail services into the airport’s transport network.
Passenger Awareness: Many passengers are unaware of combined rail-air options. Therefore, improving the visibility and accessibility of such options is crucial for encouraging their use.
Challenges with Early Morning Flights: There is a need for night-time train services or alternative solutions to better serve early morning flights.
Train + Air Services: Air France and Groupe ADP have implemented services like Train + Air, offering combined tickets and baggage registration at train stations across France, including Brussels South.
Advocating for New Infrastructure: ADP is pushing for new high-speed train infrastructure near Aéroport de Paris-Orly and Station Pont de Rungis Aéroport d’Orly, which will significantly enhance intermodal connectivity.
With the potential for train station usage at Charles de Gaulle to double or triple, these efforts will drive modal shifts and provide enhanced convenience for passengers.
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Multimodal Traffic Flow Optimisation Using Telecom Data and Machine Learning
Kresimir Vidovic from ENT - Ericsson Nikola Tesla showcased an advanced multimodal traffic flow optimisation tool developed as part of the OLGA Project. By using telecom data and machine learning, the tool provides deep insights into passenger flow and travel demands, enabling airports to optimise their operations and meet passengers’ real needs.
Key Features:
Passenger Behaviour Insights: The tool analyses data across 15-minute intervals to seasonal trends, revealing insights into travel patterns, origin markets, and transport demands.
Unmet Demand Identification: The tool identifies regions or markets that are underserved by direct flights, presenting opportunities to establish new routes.
Continuous Monitoring: The framework enables stakeholders to assess the impact of changes in real time, helping them refine airport mobility and operations.
The tool has demonstrated an accuracy rate of 97%, significantly outperforming traditional surveys in tracking passenger behaviour.
This tool promises to revolutionise airport operations, optimise traffic flow, and enhance the passenger experiencethrough data-driven decision-making and real-time analysis.
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Enhancing Sustainability Through SAF Traceability
SAF is integral to decarbonising the aviation industry, but its credibility depends on a robust, transparent, and verifiable value chain.
The Challenge of SAF Traceability
Sustainable Aviation Fuel must meet stringent environmental, social, and governance (ESG) standards. Traceability is critical to ensure SAF batches maintain their sustainability attributes throughout their journey, from production to end use. However, this process is fraught with challenges, including the need for secure data handling, preventing double-counting of batches, and meeting evolving regulatory demands.
A Blockchain-Based Solution: ATTRIBUTES
Leveraging five years of experience in tracking ESG attributes for green power and natural gas, ATTRIBUTES is now applying its expertise to SAF. Through the OLGA project, the platform has developed a SAF-specific tool designed to address the unique demands of this nascent market.
Key features of the solution include:
Data Security: Ensuring the integrity and protection of SAF-related data across the supply chain.
Auditability: Providing a transparent and verifiable trail of sustainability attributes for SAF batches.
Flexibility: Accommodating the complexities of SAF operations and adapting to future market needs.
Demonstrating Success with OLGA
A significant milestone was the development of a demonstrator tool that allocates SAF sustainability attributes to specific flights. This tool integrates:
Data Acquisition: Capturing and representing SAF batches digitally.
Allocation Process: Dividing SAF batches while maintaining sustainability attributes.
Verification and Audit Trail: Enabling full transparency along the supply chain.
Collaborative Industry Development
The OLGA project emphasises co-construction with industry stakeholders. Collaborating with Air France, a "book-and-claim" model was piloted to further refine the SAF traceability process. This partnership exemplifies the collaborative approach needed to align tools with the operational realities of the aviation sector.
Key Learnings and Achievements
The project highlighted several insights:
Operational Complexity: SAF traceability demands adaptable tools to manage diverse processes.
Transparency and Trust: Meeting sustainability targets requires precise and reliable data.
Regulatory Navigation: The evolving policy landscape necessitates agile and forward-thinking solutions.
The OLGA initiative demonstrates that the journey towards a sustainable aviation industry is achievable through innovative tools, industry collaboration, and a shared commitment to environmental integrity. As the SAF market matures, projects like OLGA will play a pivotal role in driving both innovation and trust.
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About the EU Green Deal Projects
The EU Green Deal projects are part of the European Commission’s effort to accelerate the green transition in the transport sector. Through funding from Horizon 2020, these projects focus on decarbonisation and sustainability in both the aviation and maritime industries.
The key projects include:
MAGPIE: Green energy solutions for ports.
OLGA: Advancing sustainable practices in airports.
PIONEERS: Reducing emissions in ports.
STARGATE: Driving sustainability in aviation.
TULIPS: Supporting zero-emission airports.
These projects play a critical role in helping the EU achieve its climate goals and drive forward the Green Deal agenda.
