Last Call: Anthony Cooper, Green Cubes Technology
Anthony Cooper of Green Cubes Technology gives his perspective on the electrification of airports, from the technology’s potential to how operators should tackle the challenges
What is the biggest challenge facing airports today?
Taking advantage of the productivity and reliability benefits of electrification while ensuring the site is ready for the change is hugely challenging, although a natural carbonisation reduction benefit is also accelerating the push to complete these upgrades. Airports must cut emissions across ground operations while keeping aircraft turnarounds fast, safe and on schedule.
How can this be tackled?
Airports need to start by electrifying ground support equipment (GSE) with proven, high-uptime power systems, then scale from there. A practical path looks like this:
• Audit your current GSE fleet and identify the highest-emission, highest-use assets • Prioritise reliable lithium battery power that supports opportunity charging during natural downtime • Build charging infrastructure in step with fleet conversion to avoid stranded assets.
The key is matching battery and power technology to the demands of ramp duty cycles. Equipment must perform in extreme cold, extreme heat and around the clock, without compromising safety.
Green Cubes Technology
Green Cubes manufactures lithium-ion batteries
What advice would you give an airport operator today?
Airports should plan for the total lifecycle, not just the purchase price. The real value of electrification shows up over years of operation. They should focus on energy systems that deliver consistent uptime, predictable maintenance, and safety certification s suited to aviation environments. Decisions made today should support the infrastructure and expansion airports will need a decade from now.
What might make an operator reluctant to invest in e-GSE?
Operators often worry about higher initial capital compared with diesel equipment and whether batteries can handle long shifts and temperature extremes. They are also concerned with downtime during the transition and the cost of new charging systems, while there are safety questions around battery performance and thermal management. These are legitimate concerns. Each deserves a clear, evidence-based answer before any commitment is made.
How would you convince them to make the investment?
The case rests on total cost of ownership, operational resilience and safety. Typically, e-GSE costs far less to run and maintain than diesel over its service life.
I would recommend airport and ground support equipment operators consider the returns. These include lower fuel and maintenance costs across the asset lifecycle, opportunity charging that keeps equipment ready without dedicated downtime, fewer moving parts, which reduces failure points and repair costs, and advanced battery management that supports safe, stable and predictable performance.
Reliability is the deciding factor. Modern lithium systems built for aviation duty cycles deliver the uptime that ramp operations depend on, while helping airports meet emissions goals. The investment protects both the balance sheet and the schedule.
What elements of electrification will we see next at airports?
We can expect electrification to expand from ground equipment into wider airport energy systems – e-GSE is the foundation, not the finish line. The likely progression includes larger charging networks and smart energy management to balance loads across the airport, and energy storage that stabilises demand and supports renewable power on-site. We can also expect to see electrified terminal operations, from passenger transport to facility systems, as well as integration with future electric and hybrid aircraft charging.
Green Cubes Technology
Anthony Cooper, senior VP for applications engineering
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