The very first 100% electric aircraft de-icer

le Mar 29, 2024
Bannière coulisse aéroport

World first: Clermont-Ferrand Auvergne airport, managed by VINCI Airports, equips itself with the very first 100% electric de-icer for aircraft.


On November 17, Clermont-Ferrand Auvergne airport, managed by VINCI Airports, received the world's very first 100% electric de-icer for aircraft (Elephant® e-Mini MY Lite).
  • In 2021, the Clermont-Ferrand Auvergne hub had already made a name for itself as the 1st in France to make biofuels available to airlines.
  • These advances illustrate VINCI Airports' determination to set its airports on a course to reduce their CO2 emissions, and to involve their partners in decarbonization.


In winter, de-icing is crucial to enable aircraft to take off safely. At Clermont-Ferrand, VINCI Airports teams will now be able to benefit from a new all-electric de-icing vehicle, enabling them to remove the ice and frost accumulated on aircraft on the ground. The use of this new de-icing vehicle (model e-Mini MY Lite), designed by ground support equipment specialist Vestergaard, is a world first, and will help reduce the airport's greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

With the financial support of SMACFA (Syndicat Mixte Aéroport Clermont-Ferrand Auvergne), the airport has reached a new milestone in the electrification of its groundhandling equipment, alongside other initiatives such as the replacement of all lighting with LEDs and the introduction of temperature setpoints to reduce energy consumption in buildings.

Clermont-Ferrand Auvergne airport had already set itself apart in 2021 by becoming the 1st French airport to make biofuels available to airlines, and by introducing eco-modulation of charges the same year, designed to encourage airlines to equip themselves with lower-emission aircraft. All these actions illustrate the concrete deployment of the environmental strategy of VINCI Airports, the 1st airport operator to have developed an integrated environmental policy across its entire network and committed, alongside local authorities and industry, to preparing the low-carbon aviation of tomorrow.


This de-icer treats all small and medium-sized aircraft (ATR, Airbus A320/321, B737) using the airport. Equipped with a powerful battery, it can carry out 8 to 12 de-icing operations per charge, depending on the condition of the aircraft, and can cover a distance of 40 to 75 km. The de-icing fluid, contained in 2 tanks with a total capacity of 4,000 liters, is heated electrically. Thanks to an optimized heating time, the time required for de-icing operations will be reduced, while limiting the use of de-icing fluid.

Vestergaard Company is a Danish company with a strong focus on sustainable development in the ground handling sector, through continuous innovation.

Dégivreuse

De-icer

Damien Le Gac, Country Manager Vestergaard Company France, said: "Vestergaard Company is proud to deliver its very first 100% electric de-icer, the e-Mini MY Lite, to Clermont-Ferrand Auvergne airport. We hope that this de-icer will satisfy our new customer, and we are pleased to be able to contribute to VINCI Airports' ambition to achieve net zero emissions for its entire European network by 2030".

Hervé Bonin, Director of Clermont-Ferrand Auvergne Airport - VINCI Airports: "This isn't the 1st time that Clermont-Ferrand Auvergne Airport has entered the aviation history books. As early as 1916, Michelin had the world's 1st hard-surface runway built on the airport's present site to accommodate the Bréguet aircraft it was building for the French army. In 2021, the airport was the 1st in France to supply sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). We are proud to be able to propose and implement, in Clermont-Ferrand, immediate and effective responses to the challenges of decarbonizing aviation, supported by VINCI Airports".

Emmanuel Bouhier, Director of the Syndicat Mixte de l'Aéroport Clermont-Ferrand Auvergne: "The Syndicat Mixte, and through it the local authorities, makes the airport's investments. These investments ensure the future of this public infrastructure, which is vital to the region's economic, cultural and social development. The future of air transport today lies in the decarbonization of both in-flight and ground-based activities. In all major transitions, pioneers are needed. The Syndicat Mixte is proud to be fulfilling this public-interest role by welcoming the world's 1st electric de-icer to Clermont-Ferrand Auvergne airport!