Ljubljana airport opened a new charging station for electric vehicles on 6 October to expand the number of its charging points fivefold. The new acquisition came just as the airport welcomed its millionth passenger this year.

The new station can charge up to eight EVs at the same time. Located at the airport's outdoor parking lot in the immediate vicinity of the new passenger terminal, it joins two charging stations that have been operating at the airport's indoor car park for a while.

The charging station was inaugurated by the airport operator Fraport Slovenija and the energy company Petrol, in what the companies said was another step in realising their vision and strategy.

"By upgrading the charging infrastructure, we are responding to the growing sustainable mobility trend and follow our commitment to become a carbon neutral airport by 2045," Urška Binter, the head of commercial services at Fraport Slovenija, said.

The new infrastructure will serve passengers and business partners, as well as visitors, including people who lease vehicles at the airport, where e-vehicles represent an increasing share.

The companies installed three public 22 kW AC charging stations with a total of six charging points and a public 150 kW ultra-fast charging station with two connections.

Fraport Slovenija and Petrol made the investment as part of the European MULTI-E project, which aims at developing mobility services and e-vehicle charging infrastructure.

Robert Surina, the executive director of Petrol in charge of energy production and mobility, noted that the company currently operates 476 e-vehicle charging spots, mostly in Slovenia and Croatia.

Next year the company intends to start developing its charging infrastructure in Serbia and Montenegro.

As part of the MULTI-E project, Petrol has set up around 40 charging stations, mostly with partners in Ljubljana, Maribor and Koper, and in Croatia. An additional 40 are to be built next year, mainly in Slovenia and Croatia.

Fraport Slovenija and Petrol will monitor the frequency of the use of charging stations and upgrade them if necessary, as the new complex can be expanded with up to eight additional charging spots.

Ljubljana airport expects to serve more than 1.2 million passengers by the end of 2023, the first time since the Covid pandemic that passenger numbers have exceeded one million.