EIB provides Aena with €86 million to improve airport energy efficiency

Credit: Mercedes Landete/EIB

The European Investment Bank (EIB) and Aena have confirmed they will work together to improve the environmental impact of Spanish airports, with the EIB granting a loan of €86 million.

This contract was made possible by the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI) and the credit line will be available for use by Aena for the next two years, enabling it to finance 75 per cent of the investments set to improve energy efficiency and promote the use of renewable energy in Aena’s network of 46 airports and two heliports across Spain.

As a result of the loan, airport lighting systems will be replaced with low-energy alternatives; thermal insulation in terminals will be optimised; and ventilation systems and boilers will be renovated. In addition, the creation of a solar photovoltaic plant for on-site use is planned in Madrid – generating 13,600MWh of clean energy a year and avoiding the emission of 2,980 tonnes of CO₂.

EIB Vice-President, Emma Navarro, said: “This agreement will reduce the environmental impact of Spanish airports while simultaneously fostering economic growth and jobs. The investments the EIB is supporting with this financing are in line with one of our main priorities: Climate action. This action brings real benefits for our economy, in this case by helping Aena airports – which welcomed over 263 million passengers last year – to access the latest energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies.”

EU Commissioner for Climate Action and Energy, Miguel Arias Cañete, commented: “This agreement once again demonstrates how the Juncker Plan is meeting our climate action objectives across the EU. It also shows that investing in energy efficiency measures is one of the fastest and most effective ways to achieve a low-carbon economy.”

Aena Executive Director, Maurici Lucena, said: “Environmental sustainability is one of the key objectives outlined in Aena’s Strategic Plan for 2018-2021, and to this end the company is taking various actions to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and environmental footprint. This defines our plan to improve our energy efficiency and use of renewable energies over the next few years.”