Malta airport electrification project targets major emissions cuts
Malta International Airport has launched a €12.5 million airfield electrification programme aimed at reducing airport ground operation emissions, with the project expected to avoid around 1,000 tonnes of CO₂ annually once fully operational.
The initiative forms part of the airport’s wider decarbonisation strategy and is scheduled for completion by 2028, ahead of European Union requirements mandating airports within the Trans-European Transport Network to provide grid electricity to remote aircraft parking stands under the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation.
The project will replace diesel-powered Ground Power Units currently used during aircraft ground operations with 35 hatch-pit systems capable of supplying direct electrical power to parked aircraft, significantly reducing fuel consumption and associated emissions on the airfield.
For apron areas where fixed electrical infrastructure cannot be installed, the airport will deploy mobile battery-powered Ground Power Units supported by 20 dedicated charging points.
The programme also includes installation of 15 electric bus charging stations intended to support the transition of airport ground transport fleets towards lower-emission vehicles.
According to the airport, the electrification project will be underpinned by a major upgrade of its electrical infrastructure, including five medium-voltage substations, two generators and a new electrical network with peak installed capacity of 7.5 MVA.
Integration with Malta’s national electricity grid is expected to improve operational reliability while supporting the broader rollout of low-emission technologies across airport operations.
Justine Baldacchino, Head of Sustainability and Analytics at Malta International Airport, said the investment forms part of a wider roadmap focused on reducing Scope 3 emissions and increasing deployment of renewable energy and low-carbon infrastructure.
The project has received €5.4 million in co-financing from the European Union through the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Facility, a funding mechanism under the Connecting Europe Facility designed to support transport sector decarbonisation and accelerate progress towards the EU’s 2050 climate neutrality targets.
The aviation sector is facing increasing pressure to reduce operational emissions both in the air and on the ground, with airports across Europe accelerating investment in electrification, renewable energy and sustainable infrastructure as part of broader net-zero transition plans.
