Ireland’s First Pantograph Bus Chargers at Dublin Airport

The Story

Dublin Airport has become the first location in Ireland to introduce pantograph charging infrastructure for electric buses, marking an important milestone in the transition to cleaner, more sustainable transport.

The pantograph chargers support a new fleet of 14 zero-emission electric shuttle buses, operated by Aircoach, with each vehicle capable of carrying up to 120 passengers per journey. The service transports approximately 2.5 million passengers annually between Dublin Airport’s car parks and terminal buildings.

Pantograph charging is an automated, high-power system developed for electric buses operating on frequent, fixed routes. A retractable charging arm connects to the bus from above, rapidly recharging it at the endpoint of its route before it returns to service.

This approach, known as opportunity charging, reduces the need for buses to return to the depot during the day. It helps to minimise downtime, improve vehicle availability and maintain a reliable passenger service.

The installation forms part of daa’s wider €17 million investment in sustainable electric transport and the Dublin Airport Campus Electrification programme. The wider programme includes major voltage upgrades and additional EV infrastructure supporting the airport’s transition to cleaner transport.

The Solution

Solutions was responsible for the project’s four pantograph bus chargers, delivering a complete package encompassing their design, supply, installation and commissioning, together with ongoing maintenance and technical support.

The system provides ultrafast charging in under 10 minutes, allowing the electric buses to recharge during scheduled stops without lengthy interruptions to the service. By charging at the endpoint of their routes, the vehicles can remain operational throughout the day while reducing their reliance on extended depot-charging periods.

As Ireland’s first pantograph bus-charging installation, the project required careful technical planning, system integration and coordination within a busy, live airport environment.

Our team worked closely with the relevant project stakeholders throughout every stage, from initial design and installation to testing and final commissioning.

The four chargers are now fully operational, providing the rapid, high-power charging capacity required to support Dublin Airport’s electric shuttle bus service.

The Success

The successful delivery of Ireland’s first pantograph bus chargers represents a major advancement for electric transport infrastructure in Ireland. It also demonstrates the potential of ultrafast opportunity charging for high-frequency public and commercial transport fleets.

Together with the electric buses and wider infrastructure delivered as part of the overall programme, the pantograph charging system will help reduce vehicle downtime and support a cleaner, quieter and more reliable service for passengers travelling across the airport campus.

The wider transition from diesel to electric shuttle buses is expected to save more than 1,470 tonnes of CO₂e annually, contributing to Dublin Airport’s decarbonisation targets and broader sustainability strategy.

For Solutions, the project demonstrates our ability to deliver complex, first-of-its-kind commercial EV charging infrastructure in a demanding operational environment.

By providing a complete service – from design and installation through to commissioning and ongoing maintenance – we have helped establish a reliable and future-ready charging system at one of Ireland’s busiest transport locations.