Bordeaux Airport in France has announced an €8m (US$9.6m) program of investment on environmental projects as part of its resilience and recovery plans. The airport is aiming to become carbon neutral by 2030 through a number of biodiversity, water and waste projects.
The airport has recently expanded its the 400Hz floor power supply for Hall A aircraft to reduce fossil fuel use and will implement further infrastructure energy solutions in 2021. In addition to the High Environmental Quality of the new Satellite 3 in Hall A, which is due to open in the near future, operations are underway for the rollout of the energy metering plan in Hall A, the solar glazing of Hall B façades, both airside and landside, and the installation of solar panel roofs at the entrance to car park PO, following similar installations in car parks P1 and P2.
Airport operator Bordeaux-Mérignac Airport SA is also focusing its actions to preserve and foster the biodiversity of the site. The greening of the car parks, which began in 2020, is being followed by a new forecourt, under development prior to the arrival of the tram in 2022, with a ‘zero chemical treatment’ requirement. The airport has also created a beehive for some 150,000 bees in a secluded area rich in a wide variety of flora and water resources.
The airport saved one million liters of water in 2019 thanks to the installation of waterless urinals in public toilets and aims to save five million liters annually through an extension of these facilities, the rollout of other flow limiting systems and the recovery of rainwater or that used for airport fire-fighting exercises in 2021.
Lastly, with the upcoming overhaul of waste sorting and collection systems, the airport is aiming for a 30% increase in recycled matter.