VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Malta International Airport has begun work on a €12.5 million project to enable parked aircraft to draw electricity directly from the national grid, cutting emissions and reducing reliance on diesel-powered equipment.
The initiative, expected to be completed by 2028, is projected to save around 1,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide annually.
Under the programme, 35 hatch-pit systems will be installed across airport aprons, allowing aircraft to access electricity, compressed air, water and fuel without using traditional ground power units.
Areas where hatch-pits cannot be installed will instead be served by mobile battery-powered units supported by 20 charging points.
The project also includes a major upgrade to the airport’s electrical infrastructure, featuring five new medium-voltage substations, two generators and a network with a peak capacity of 7.5 MVA, fully integrated with Malta’s national grid.
MIA’s Head of Sustainability and Analytics, Justine Baldacchino, described the investment as part of a wider strategy to deploy low-emission technologies and expand solar energy use.
The project is co-financed by the European Union through a €5.4 million grant under the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Facility, supporting transport decarbonisation across Europe.
-Photo MIA-
(ITALPRESS).
