23 June 2026 3 million euros for sustainable ground power supply at airports New call for tenders supports the transition to zero-emission energy supply on the Apron

The Climate and Energy Fund is launching a new call for proposals entitled ‘Sustainable Ground Power Supply at Airports’ and is making up to 3 million euros available for this purpose, funded by the Federal Ministry for Innovation, Mobility and Infrastructure (BMIMI).

Funding is available for investments in stationary ground power systems, electric mobile ground power units (eGPUs) and stationary and mobile pre-conditioned air systems (PCA). The aim is to gradually switch the power supply for aircraft whilst they are parked on the ground to zero-emission systems using electricity from renewable energy sources. 

Air traffic generates climate-relevant emissions not only during flight operations. Even on the ground, aircraft are often still powered by aircraft engines or diesel-powered ground power units. These systems produce greenhouse gas and air pollutant emissions, as well as noise. The new funding scheme addresses precisely this issue and supports airports in switching to sustainable alternatives at an early stage.

Peter Hanke, Minister for Mobility: “Decarbonising transport will only succeed if we consistently align the entire infrastructure with sustainability. Airports are key mobility hubs and require a sustainable energy supply. By promoting sustainable ground power solutions, we are creating the conditions to significantly reduce emissions and noise pollution on the ground, whilst at the same time strengthening the competitiveness of our airports.”

The new call for proposals for sustainable ground power supply in Austria is now open. The funding is therefore available to all Austrian commercial airports. 

Julian Jäger, CEO of Flughafen Wien AG and President of the Association of Austrian Commercial Airports (AÖV), emphasises: “Around 700 flights are handled at Vienna Airport every day. Making these handling processes sustainable is a top priority for us. The supply of sustainable ground power is a key factor in this regard. However, the transition to sustainable technologies is very costly, and this poses considerable challenges for aviation hubs and regional airports. The willingness of the Federal Ministry for Innovation, Mobility and Infrastructure (BMIMI) to provide funding for this under the Climate and Energy Fund is therefore very much to be welcomed and contributes significantly to making airport operations more environmentally friendly.”

Bettina Ganghofer, Managing Director of Salzburg Airport: “This funding represents a strong commitment to the sustainable development of Austria as an aviation hub. It is particularly encouraging that regional airports are also a clear focus of this initiative; I am, of course, delighted about that.” 

Sustainable infrastructure as the key to decarbonisation

Through this call for proposals, the Climate and Energy Fund is creating targeted incentives for investment in modern, zero-emission energy infrastructure at airports. This will not only reduce environmental impacts in the apron area, but also lay the groundwork for the timely implementation of European requirements for sustainable energy supply in the aviation sector. 

Bernd Vogl, Managing Director of the Climate and Energy Fund: “The transition of ground power supply to renewable and zero-emission systems is a concrete and effective step towards decarbonising aviation infrastructure. Through our funding, we are helping airports to bring forward necessary investments, deploy innovative technologies more quickly and actively drive forward climate targets in the mobility sector.”

Preparing for European requirements

In accordance with Regulation (EU) 2023/1804 on the deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure (AFIR), Austria must ensure, by the end of 2029, that a sustainable power supply for stationary aircraft is provided at all aircraft apron positions at all airports in the TEN-T network. From 2030, this power supply must come exclusively from the electricity grid or from energy generated on site without the use of fossil fuels. The call for tenders supports Austrian airports in implementing the regulation at an early stage.

Reducing emissions, noise and pollution

The call for tenders has several objectives: a significant reduction in greenhouse gas and air pollutant emissions, a reduction in noise pollution in the apron area, and an improvement in working conditions for airport staff. Furthermore, aspects of inclusion and equal treatment are taken into account: the equipment and systems receiving funding should be designed in such a way that they can be operated safely by people of different heights and with different physical abilities.

The call for proposals entitled ‘Sustainable Ground Power Supply at Airports’ is now open. Eligible for funding are investments in infrastructure and energy supply that enable zero-emission power supply to aircraft on the ground, thereby making a significant contribution to the climate-friendly transformation of aviation.