One of the challenges of decarbonising motorways is to develop low carbon solutions for freight transport and therefore heavy vehicles. Currently, there is no consensus on any technological options. To contribute to a resolution, VINCI Autoroutes has taken several initiatives:
VINCI Autoroutes is also committed to developing carpooling and public transport on motorways. A programme is under way to develop carpool parking facilities at motorway entrances and exits: 52 car parks, five of which were opened in 2023, were in service at the end of the year, providing 4,456 spaces in all. VINCI Autoroutes plans to build 28 additional car parks over the next few years. VINCI Autoroutes is testing out free flow technology to develop a toll collection service that eliminates barriers or obstacles at toll gates, with two trials are under way at Tours Nord and Tonnay-Charente. In 2023, the methodology for calculation of GHG emission avoidance was also adjusted in line with that applied by the Association of French Motorway Companies (Asfa). VINCI Highways is also experimenting with these services, which can reduce CO2 emissions by up to 60% per passage.
In the area of electric mobility, Easy Charge, the joint venture formed between VINCI Autoroutes and VINCI Energies, showed strong business growth in 2023. As a charging station operator, the company manages 348 charge points in France with the Ecological Transport Modernisation Fund (FMET) and plans to add 224 more points to its network in 2024. As an infrastructure designer, builder and maintenance provider, Easy Charge built the first ultra-fast charging station for Zunder in France, with 12 charging points. It also maintains Ionity’s 120 charging stations in France and oversees the eborn network covering more than 2,600 fast charge points.
VINCI Concessions continues to install new charge points, with more than 1,000 chargers installed throughout the network, of which 660 at VINCI Airports, for users, employees and other stakeholders. In 2023, the VINCI Concessions subsidiary eliso was awarded three contracts from the Deutschlandnetz Regional programme to install and operate 106 charging stations (828 charge points with a power rating of 400 kW) in the Berlin, Hamburg and Leipzig areas, adding to the 1,100 existing stations.
VINCI Energies continues to deploy its Too Electric solution to develop, supply, install and maintain charging infrastructure while providing guidance for its customers. It currently covers 10,000 EV charge points. Since the beginning of 2023, the Citeos network has installed 600 super chargers, in addition to the 8,000 EV charge points already managed in France in 2022. In Australia, VINCI Energies Industrial Services is working on the installation of fast and slow charging sites for the Brisbane metro project, which will use fully electric vehicles.
Cobra IS has also installed nearly 450 charge points in various regions of Spain through its subsidiaries Etra and Eleia. The Moncobra division took part in the electrification project at the EMT bus depot in Carabanchel (Spain), where 52 chargers were installed with inverted pantographs and a powerful photovoltaic installation that will guarantee the supply of 10% of the charging station’s power for the management of a fleet of electric buses in Madrid.
VINCI Airports adopted a global environmental policy in 2015, aimed in particular at reducing the energy consumption and carbon footprint of its activities. To reduce the impacts relating to air traffic, which is the primary source of indirect emissions for VINCI Airports, a system to adjust landing fees based on aircraft emissions was introduced at some airports in 2020, with a view to accelerating fleet renewal. The mechanism is already in operation at all regional airports in France and has been extended to Lyon-Saint Exupéry and London Gatwick airports. Due to updates implemented in 2023, this system of modulating landing fees no longer categorises aircraft by seat configuration and will therefore apply more broadly to business aviation. The rate applied to eco-modulation was also raised. VINCI Airports encourages airlines to use sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs). SAFs have already been tested at the Lyon, ANA (Portugal) and London Gatwick airports and are available in permanent supply at the Toulon Hyères, Grenoble Alpes Isère, Clermont-Ferrand Auvergne and Saint-Nazaire Montoir airports. At the last of these airports, a partnership was signed with TotalEnergies to provide biofuel made with used cooking oils. Mixed up to 30% with conventional fuel, this biofuel was found to reduce emissions by about 27% overall. Airbus will use it to refuel both its Beluga cargo planes transporting fuselage sections and its shuttles carrying employees, serving routes between the Saint-Nazaire production plant and assembly lines in Toulouse.
Other pathways to action are being implemented to reduce airline emissions. For example, the “Monitoring Aircraft Carbon Footprint” initiative developed by ANA (Portugal) measures carbon emissions during taxiing in real time. VINCI Airports also offers to supply power and air conditioning for aircraft, thereby eliminating the need to use auxiliary power units while on the ground and avoiding the burning of kerosene.
Cobra Serpista is carrying out the project to electrify 80% of Iberia’s airport equipment (mainly baggage conveyor belts), thereby working towards the airline’s commitment to achieve net zero for its operations by 2025. The project also supports the circular economy, by reusing around 800 tonnes of components.
