June 29, 2023
The airport of Clermont-Ferrand Auvergne has great ambitions regarding the environment and reducing its carbon emissions. For that reason, they have now bought their first Vestergaard deicer – the Elephant® e-Mini MY Lite. The airport is part of the Vinci network of airports, where work is being done to develop an integrated environmental policy throughout the network. In 2022, the airport achieved level 2 of the ACA (Airport Carbon Accreditation), an initiative specifically for measuring airport emissions.
The airport has achieved a reduction of 7.2% in recent years. This was done by replacing light sources in their buildings and switching from only having petrol/diesel-powered vehicles to now also having electric ones. In 2022, the airport became the first to introduce Vestergaard Company’s fully electric Elephant® e-Mini MY Lite.
Clermont-Ferrand Auvergne chose the model with electric heating of the fluid, so there is no emission from the vehicle at all. This type of deicer fits in perfectly with the Vinci airports, as their goal is to reduce their carbon emissions to become CO2 neutral by 2050. The airport is now focussing on achieving level 3 of the ACA, which can only be achieved by cooperating with all operators in the airport. Vestergaard Company’s great focus on making the aviation industry more sustainable by developing more sustainable vehicles for handling aircraft meets Clermont-Ferrand Auvergne’s goals for which direction they want to go.
With the e-Mini MY Lite’s 40 kWh battery, allowing 8-12 deicings and 40-75 km per charging, the deicer has been developed precisely for this size airport with less traffic and typically single-aisle aircraft types. The Massif Central, in the middle of France, generally has a mild and temperate climate, but in December, January, and February, there will be frost and a few days of snow, so you must be prepared.
