Bristol Airport appoints Clare Hennessey as Planning and Sustainability Director
Bristol Airport has appointed Clare Hennessey to the position of Planning & Sustainability Director.
Image courtesy Bristol Airport
Previously working with EDF Energy leading the programme of planning and environmental consents required for the decommissioning of several nuclear power stations. Clare brings a wide experience having worked in a number of sectors and developments including amongst others; Hinkley Point C, London Crossrail, and the London Olympics which required a combination of planning and sustainability disciplines to progress and deliver long term value to communities and customers. Her experience in the aviation sector includes providing strategic advice to Gatwick Airport and advice to the Department for Transport on the National Policy Statement for Airport Expansion in the South East.
As Planning & Sustainability Director, Clare will play a key role in developing the future of Bristol Airport and will be responsible for shaping and implementing Bristol Airport’s planning and sustainability strategies. The appointment comes as the Airport has successfully secured 12 million passengers per annum planning permission; and work has already commenced developing the Airport for the future.
Dave Lees, CEO, Bristol Airport, said: “We are delighted to welcome Clare to the team, she joins Bristol Airport at an exceptionally exciting time. Clare will oversee the development of our masterplan, sustainability strategy and partnerships. Working closely with stakeholders to meet our ambitious sustainability targets – in being one of the first UK airports to be a net zero airport operation by 2030. Clare’s appointment will help us to build on the work already started, prioritising sustainability and responsible planning strategies for the future.”
Clare Hennessey (above), Planning & Sustainability Director, Bristol Airport said: “I am excited to join the Bristol Airport team and I understand the important role Bristol Airport plays in the region. It is a major tourism gateway, connecting the region for both business and leisure, and provides a wide range of business, tourism, and job opportunities. I look forward to working with our stakeholders as we take forward the first of many transformational projects for the airport and masterplan for growth aligned with our sustainability goals.”
Work has already commenced on Bristol Airport’s largest capital project ever with over £60 million investment, creating a public transport interchange hub and multistorey car park. The transformational project will enhance services and accessibility for customers whether arriving or departing from Bristol Airport.
The project will provide a significantly enlarged public transport interchange hub, improved internal road system, enclosed – glazed airbridge linking car parks to the terminal and an additional multistorey car park providing customer enhancements such as waiting rooms and rest facilities. The project forms part of Bristol Airport’s overall multi-million-pound transformational development plan enabling 12 million passengers a year to use the Airport.
Bristol Airport’s airside electric vehicle (EV) fleet
It was announced last week that Yunex Traffic has supplied, commissioned and will maintain rapid DC chargers to meet the needs of Bristol Airport’s airside electric vehicle (EV) fleet. The company is providing full, ongoing service and maintenance support, to ensure the high availability levels that are required for operational performance at one of the UK’s major regional airports.
Having reached its carbon neutral goal four years ahead of schedule in 2021, Bristol Airport is now focused on becoming net zero airport operations by 2030. There are many elements of the airport’s operations that will contribute to achieving this target, including the electrification of its fleet, which includes transit buses, ground handling and security vehicles and the availability of a reliable charging infrastructure network.
Wilke Reints, Managing Director of Yunex Traffic in the UK, said: “We are pleased to be working so closely with Bristol Airport and to have supplied new rapid chargers for the airport’s electric vehicles. The service and support we will provide on an ongoing basis will be critical both to ensuring their optimum performance and supporting the airport’s efficient operations and ambitious net zero goals.”
Richard Withey, Energy Efficiency Manager, Bristol Airport said: “We are delighted that another project has been completed, helping us to work towards our net zero goals. The collaboration with Yunex Traffic in providing the electric DC rapid chargers is essential in the busy airside aircraft operating area and assists the efficiency with aircraft turnarounds.”
The importance of effective support for Bristol Airport reflects the national charging infrastructure picture, where a national network of chargers is vital to meeting the demands of the growing number of EVs on the UK’s roads. However, these chargers have to be effectively and efficiently serviced and maintained to ensure high availability and to give drivers confidence in the network as a whole.
To support these needs, Yunex Traffic has established a nationwide network of highly-trained and experienced engineers, each one providing high-quality support services to ensure there is a functioning charger network delivering the required levels of availability. A team of these specialist engineers will be providing support to Bristol Airport, making sure the required levels of availability are achieved to meet its performance and sustainability objectives.
Future-proofing the EV charging infrastructure
As Bristol Airport’s airside electric fleet grows, the EV charging infrastructure programme is also expanding, with the latest phase seeing Yunex Traffic supply and commission rapid DC chargers, which will service the airport’s current requirements. These chargers are in addition to a number of Alfen AC units that Yunex Traffic has already installed, both airside and landside.
The latest Efacec 60 kW DC charger provides a future-proof, modular charging solution, with the option to simply upgrade the units to 90kW or 120kW charging to meet the future needs of the airport’s growing fleet, or high voltage electric vehicles.