Electrifying airport infrastructure is becoming the inevitable direction for an industry undergoing its most extensive transformation in decades. Pressure from European regulations, public expectations, and the need for competitiveness are pushing more and more airports to rebuild their energy model, and Brussels is now one of the most advanced examples in Europe. For Romania, these developments offer concrete benchmarks for what the next generation of airports could look like.
Brussels Airport has committed to achieving carbon neutrality for its own emissions by 2030, a much more ambitious deadline than the one set at European level for 2050. To support this transition, the airport is tripling its installed electrical capacity from 25 MVA to 80 MVA—a technical requirement for the complete electrification of ground vehicles and equipment. New 150 kV substations, high-voltage cables, and an advanced load management system are becoming the foundation of an infrastructure that will increasingly operate on electricity.
This increase in energy capacity is already translating into tangible projects: over 300 charging points installed on the platform, expansion of fixed power supply for aircraft, electrification of tractors, loaders, buses, and other airport vehicles. The result is a substantial reduction in CO₂ and NOx emissions, a noticeable decrease in noise levels, and improved air quality for staff and surrounding communities. For operators, electrification also brings operational benefits: more stable costs, reduced maintenance, and finer control over energy consumption.
Furthermore, Brussels is part of a European network of airports—alongside Athens, Budapest, and Toulouse—that are jointly testing new solutions through the European STARGATE program. The program functions as a European testing ground for airport transition, where over 30 pilot projects are exploring everything from fuel-efficient landing procedures to the digitization of cargo operations, the introduction of autonomous vehicles on the apron, the use of Taxibot to reduce emissions during taxiing, and the development of a complex digital model (Digital Twin) that anticipates the energy impact of each investment scenario..
To balance the increase in electricity consumption and reduce pressure on the grid, Brussels is also developing an ambitious local energy production program. The airport plans to expand its photovoltaic capacity to 27 MWp, which will help cover part of the growing demand generated by the electrification of operations. The integration of these installations is already modeled in the airport’s Digital Twin, which shows that solar potential combined with heat pumps and smart lighting can reduce emissions by up to 63% compared to 2019 levels.
These initiatives show that electrification is not a singular goal, but an integrated process that changes the logic of the entire airport ecosystem. For airports in Romania, the lesson from Brussels is clear: planning for increased electrical capacity and the gradual electrification of ground operations can no longer be postponed. The window for European funding will open again in 2026–2027, and projects such as STARGATE are already creating a validated framework with tested solutions that can be replicated.
Characteristic energy profiles for airports
The energy profile of an airport is shaped by the simultaneous operation of these systems: HVAC for terminals, industrial fans, heat pumps, electric vehicles, runway lighting, and critical command and control systems. All these variable consumptions, some inductive, others with high instantaneous power, explain why airport infrastructure cannot be designed solely in terms of MW.
In high-voltage electrical infrastructures, such as those powering an airport, the distinction between MVA and MW is essential to understanding the difference between grid capacity and useful energy consumed. MW strictly expresses active power, transformed into work — heating, movement, cooling, charging — while MVA describes the total capacity of the network to take on variable loads, including the reactive components of electrical equipment. That is why infrastructure design works in MVA, even if we use MW for public communication. In the case of Brussels Airport, the expansion from 25 to 80 MVA illustrates the massive strengthening of the network in view of the accelerated electrification of operations.
The conversion between the two units is done using MW = MVA × PF, where PF is the power factor. Although this is usually less than one, to keep the comparison readable, we use PF = 1 here, a choice confirmed by the engineers we spoke to in Brussels. Beyond the calculations, the meaning of the transformation becomes clear in terms of investment: a new 150 kV substation, high-voltage cables, a load balancing system to optimize consumption, and the infrastructure needed for approximately 400 charging points for ground support equipment (GSE) and 1,200 in the landside area, according to data presented by the airport. At the same time, Brussels is installing six fixed GPUs and six PCA units at the end of Pier A, plus another seven GPUs and six PCAs on platform 3, providing power to parked aircraft..
An important step is the transition from gas to electric heating: airport engineers have confirmed to Energynomics that the approximately 25 MW gas-fired power plant will be decommissioned and replaced with a fully electric system — heat pumps and e-boilers totaling the same installed capacity. Thus, heating – one of the largest energy consumers at an airport – is migrating entirely to electricity, putting pressure on the internal network and justifying its expansion.
Beyond the central terminal area, the airport is also massively electrifying its ramp operations. Fleets of tractors, loaders, and pushbacks are gradually being electrified; DHL, for example, has introduced 11 electric tractors and 13 electric cargo trucks, reducing emissions from ground operations by around 50%. At the same time, optimized landing procedures (CDO) reduce fuel consumption by approximately 100 kg per landing for long-haul aircraft, and tests with autonomous vehicles on the apron show how digitization can improve energy efficiency.
The electrification of Brussels Airport thus provides a very clear picture of how a complex energy ecosystem is reconfiguring itself as heating, mobility, and aeronautical operations converge toward electrification. At the same time, the European STARGATE program is exploring the use of hydrogen to power ground equipment, especially since major aerospace manufacturers and numerous startups are actively developing hydrogen-based propulsion — from prototypes to propulsion systems for regional aircraft. It is true, however, that commercial hydrogen-powered aircraft on the scale of today’s large aircraft are still only a prospect for the future, with the chances of implementation most likely not before 2030.
Specific terms
- GPU (Ground Power Unit) = ground power supply for aircraft, allowing auxiliary kerosene generators to be shut down;
- PCA (Pre-Conditioned Air) = air conditioning supplied to the aircraft when the engine is shut down, reducing fuel consumption;
- GSE (Ground Support Equipment) = all vehicles and equipment on the apron – tractors, baggage carriers, loaders, pushbacks;
- Pushback = specialized vehicle used to push the aircraft back from the gate before taxiing;
- Airside = the operational area of the airport, accessible only to authorized personnel: apron, runways, taxiways, hangars, cargo loading areas;
- Landside = the public area of the airport, accessible to passengers and visitors: terminals, parking lots, shopping areas, check-in areas. It is physically and procedurally separated from the airside.
