From now on, electrical ground power devices will be used at Weeze Airport to provide energy for the aircraft while the jets are idle. With a six-figure investment in the environmentally friendly supply of aircraft on the apron, the use of diesel-powered devices was ended.
With the investment in its technical infrastructure, Airport Weeze is setting an example for a more sustainable future. On Tuesday, November 9th, the airport representatives officially put the electrical ground power devices into operation at the nine parking positions on the apron of the airport. The airport invested a six-figure sum in the new technology. The so-called GPUs (Ground Power Units) provide the aircraft with electricity for the on-board supply during their idle time between landing and take-off at the airport. So far, diesel-powered GPUs have been used in Weeze.
“The handling team already got to know the new power stations in the test phase and appreciate them very much. Your work will be made easier by the retrofitting. The new technology is trend-setting and environmentally friendly. The E-GPUs are really a progressive project because ecological and sustainable work is important to us. It is also a great advantage that the devices can be fed by our solar power generated at the airport, ”says airport boss Sebastian Papst.
Four of the GPUs at Weeze Airport were installed stationary. Five more can be used flexibly so that larger aircraft can also be supplied to the parking positions. In order to put the new devices into operation, the first step was to create the power infrastructure for the GPUs. The necessary cables from the transformer to the nine aircraft positions were laid under the concrete ceiling of the apron using the directional drilling method. Flight operations could continue unhindered during the work.