The ambitious Stargate project for the transition to a sustainable aviation was officially launched on Thursday 25 November with a press conference in the Skyhall.
As part of the European Green Deal, the European Commission called for projects to drastically reduce the environmental impact of the transport sector. Brussels Airport took the initiative, together with 21 partners, including three European airports, airlines, mobility and knowledge institutes and local authorities, to submit the ambitious Stargate programme. This programme includes innovations and initiatives for an accelerated transition to greener aviation. Brussels Airport's Stargate project was selected and is granted 24.8 million euros of subsidies to implement these projects in the coming years.
During a press conference in the Skyhall, the Stargate project was officially launched, in the - be it virtual - presence of Prime Minister Alexander De Croo and Transport Minister Georges Gilkinet.
Three main areas
"With Stargate we want to show, together with our partners, that a more sustainable aviation is possible, and that we want to take the lead in this. Through partnership and innovation, we want to address the climate challenges we are facing,” explains Arnaud Feist, CEO of Brussels Airport Company.
Stargate includes about thirty small and large projects, focused on three main areas:
- a further decarbonisation of the airport operations,
- improving the local environmental quality and
- improving the modal split..
Some of the proposed projects: green taxiing, hydrogen driven ground handling equipment, the construction of a blending installation for biofuel, the construction of a bio-digestion plant to produce energy and the promotion of public tansport solutions.
“By exchanging knowledge and experience with our partners, we can learn from each other, and our fellow airports will be the first to roll out the specific actions that proved successful at Brussels Airport", Arnaud Feist continues.
The other partners in the consortium are Brussels Airlines, TUI, DHL Aviation, Engie Laborelec, Air Cargo Belgium, Skytanking, skeyes, To70, Lux Mobility, University of Hasselt, expertisecentre Erasmus UPT, IES R&D, Sopra Steria, Province of Flemish Brabant, Quatra, the Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), NMBS and the Flanders Institute for Logistics.
Exciting times ahead!