prEN 12312-20
(Main)Aircraft ground support equipment - Specific requirements - Part 20: Electrical ground power units
Aircraft ground support equipment - Specific requirements - Part 20: Electrical ground power units
This European Standard specifies the technical requirements to minimise the hazards listed in Clause 4 which can arise during the commissioning, operation and maintenance of ground power equipment, when carried out in accordance with the specifications given by the manufacturer or his authorised representative. It also takes into account some performance requirements recognised as essential by authorities, aircraft and ground support equipment (GSE) manufacturers as well as airlines and service companies.
This European Standard applies to:
- ground power units either self-propelled or towable (Examples see Annex A);
- ground power equipment when mounted on other GSE;
- ground power accessories intended for ground power equipment (including accessories for fixed equipment).
This European Standard does not apply to:
- the electrical characteristics of the supply, the type of power supply system and related measures against contact;
- any electrical supply system not intended for aircraft use;
- the on-board electrical system of the aircraft.
This European Standard does not establish requirements for noise and vibration.
Noise and vibration are dealt with respectively in EN 1915 4 and EN 1915 3.
This European Standard does not deal with hazards in respect to a standard automotive chassis and from other vehicles on the apron.
This Part of EN 12312 is not applicable to ground power equipment which is manufactured before the date of publication of this European Standard by CEN.
This part of EN 12312 is intended to be used in conjunction with EN 1915-1, EN 1915-2, EN 1915-3 (for vehicles) and EN 1915-4.
Luftfahrt-Bodengeräte - Besondere Anforderungen - Teil 20: Ausrüstung zur Bodenstromversorgung
Matériel au sol pour aéronefs - Exigences particulières - Partie 20: Matériel d'alimentation électrique au sol
Podporna oprema na tleh za letalski promet - Posebne zahteve - 20. del: Oskrba z električno energijo
General Information
Relations
Standards Content (Sample)
SLOVENSKI STANDARD
01-julij-2025
Podporna oprema na tleh za letalski promet - Posebne zahteve - 20. del: Oskrba z
električno energijo
Aircraft ground support equipment - Specific requirements - Part 20: Electrical ground
power units
Luftfahrt-Bodengeräte - Besondere Anforderungen - Teil 20: Ausrüstung zur
Bodenstromversorgung
Matériel au sol pour aéronefs - Exigences particulières - Partie 20: Matériel
d'alimentation électrique au sol
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: prEN 12312-20
ICS:
49.100 Oprema za servis in Ground service and
vzdrževanje na tleh maintenance equipment
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.
DRAFT
EUROPEAN STANDARD
NORME EUROPÉENNE
EUROPÄISCHE NORM
April 2025
ICS 49.100 Will supersede EN 12312-20:2005+A1:2009
English Version
Aircraft ground support equipment - Specific
requirements - Part 20: Electrical ground power units
Matériel au sol pour aéronefs - Exigences particulières Luftfahrt-Bodengeräte - Besondere Anforderungen -
- Partie 20: Matériel d'alimentation électrique au sol Teil 20: Ausrüstung zur Bodenstromversorgung
This draft European Standard is submitted to CEN members for enquiry. It has been drawn up by the Technical Committee
CEN/TC 274.
If this draft becomes a European Standard, CEN members are bound to comply with the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations
which stipulate the conditions for giving this European Standard the status of a national standard without any alteration.
This draft European Standard was established by CEN in three official versions (English, French, German). A version in any other
language made by translation under the responsibility of a CEN member into its own language and notified to the CEN-CENELEC
Management Centre has the same status as the official versions.
CEN members are the national standards bodies of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia,
Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway,
Poland, Portugal, Republic of North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye and
United Kingdom.
Recipients of this draft are invited to submit, with their comments, notification of any relevant patent rights of which they are
aware and to provide supporting documentation.
Warning : This document is not a European Standard. It is distributed for review and comments. It is subject to change without
notice and shall not be referred to as a European Standard.
EUROPEAN COMMITTEE FOR STANDARDIZATION
COMITÉ EUROPÉEN DE NORMALISATION
EUROPÄISCHES KOMITEE FÜR NORMUNG
CEN-CENELEC Management Centre: Rue de la Science 23, B-1040 Brussels
© 2025 CEN All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved Ref. No. prEN 12312-20:2025 E
worldwide for CEN national Members.
Contents
European foreword . 3
Introduction . 5
1 Scope . 6
2 Normative references . 6
3 Terms and definitions . 7
4 List of hazards . 7
5 Safety requirements and/or measures . 8
5.1 General requirements . 8
5.2 Power sources . 8
5.3 Cables and connectors . 8
5.4 Equipment fixed to passenger boarding bridges . 9
5.5 Controls . 9
6 Verification of requirements . 9
7 Information for use . 10
7.1 Marking . 10
7.2 Safety marking . 10
7.3 Instructions . 10
Annex A (informative) List of significant hazards . 12
Annex ZA (informative) Relationship between this European Standard and the essential
requirements of Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 aimed to be covered . 17
Bibliography . 23
European foreword
This document (prEN 12312-20:2025) has been prepared by Technical Committee CEN/TC 274 “Aircraft
ground support equipment”, the secretariat of which is held by DIN.
This document is currently submitted to the CEN Enquiry.
This document will supersede EN 12312-20:2005+A1:2009.
This document includes the following significant technical changes with respect to
EN 12312-20:2005+A1:2009:
— the Introduction was updated;
— the Scope was updated;
— Clause 2, Normative references, was updated;
— Clause 4, List of hazards, was updated;
— 5.1.9 was updated;
— 5.3.7 was updated
— 5.3.8 and 5.3.9 were added;
— 5.4 was updated;
— The order of Clause 6, Information for use, and Clause 7, Verification of requirements, was swapped;
— Annex A, List of significant hazards, was updated;
— Annex ZA was updated;
— the Bibliography was updated.
This document has been prepared under a standardization request addressed to CEN by the European
Commission. The Standing Committee of the EFTA States subsequently approves these requests for its
Member States.
For the relationship with EU Legislation, see informative Annex ZA, which is an integral part of this document.
EN 12312, Aircraft ground support equipment ― Specific requirements, consists of the following parts:
— Part 1: Passenger stairs;
— Part 2: Catering vehicles;
— Part 3: Conveyor belt vehicles;
— Part 4: Passenger boarding bridges;
— Part 5: Aircraft fuelling equipment;
— Part 6: Deicers and deicing/antiicing equipment;
— Part 7: Aircraft movement equipment;
— Part 8: Maintenance or service stairs and platforms;
— Part 9: Container/Pallet loaders;
— Part 10: Container/Pallet transfer transporters;
— Part 11: Container/Pallet dollies and loose load trailers;
— Part 12: Potable water service equipment;
— Part 13: Lavatory service equipment;
— Part 14: Disabled/incapacitated passenger boarding vehicles;
— Part 15: Baggage and equipment tractors;
— Part 16: Air start equipment;
— Part 17: Air conditioning equipment;
— Part 18: Nitrogen or Oxygen units;
— Part 19: Aircraft jacks, axle jacks and hydraulic tail stanchions;
— Part 20: Electrical ground power units.
Introduction
This document specifies health and safety requirements, as well as some functional and performance
requirements for ground power equipment intended for the electrical supply for aircraft to be used on all
aircraft types commonly in service in civil air transport.
The minimum essential criteria are considered to be of primary importance in providing safe, serviceable,
economical, and practical ground power equipment. Deviations from the recommended criteria should occur
only after careful consideration, extensive testing, risk assessment and thorough service evaluation have
shown alternative methods or conditions to be satisfactory. Such deviations are outside the scope of this
document and a manufacturer should be able to demonstrate an equivalent level of protection.
This document is a Type C standard as stated in EN ISO 12100:2010.
The machinery concerned and the extent to which hazards, hazardous situations and events are covered are
indicated in the scope of this document.
When provisions requirements of this type C standard are different from those which are stated in type A or B
standards, the requirements of this type C standard take precedence over the requirements of the other
standards, for machines that have been designed and built according to the requirements of this type C
standard.
1 Scope
This document specifies the technical requirements to minimize the hazards listed in Clause 4 which can arise
during the commissioning, operation and maintenance of ground power equipment, when carried out in
accordance with the specifications given by the manufacturer or his authorized representative. It also takes
into account some performance requirements recognized as essential by authorities, aircraft and ground
support equipment (GSE) manufacturers as well as airlines and service companies.
This document applies to:
— ground power units either self-propelled or towable;
— ground power equipment when mounted on other GSE;
— ground power accessories intended for ground power equipment (including accessories for fixed
equipment).
This document does not apply to:
— the electrical characteristics of the supply, the type of power supply system and related measures against
contact;
— any electrical supply system not intended for aircraft use;
— the on-board electrical system of the aircraft.
This document does not establish requirements for noise and vibration.
Noise and vibration are dealt with respectively in EN 1915-4:2004+A1:2009 and EN 1915-3:2004+A1:2009.
This document does not deal with hazards in respect to a standard automotive chassis and from other vehicles
on the apron.
This part of EN 12312 is not applicable to ground power equipment which is manufactured before the date of
publication of this document by CEN.
This part of EN 12312 is intended to be used in conjunction with EN 1915-1:2023, EN 1915-2:2001+A1:2009,
EN 1915-3:2004+A1:2009 (for vehicles) and EN 1915-4:2004+A1:2009.
2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content constitutes
requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references,
the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
EN 1175:2020, Safety of industrial trucks - Electrical/electronic requirements
EN 1915-1:2023, Aircraft ground support equipment - General requirements - Part 1: Basic safety requirements
EN 1915-2:2001+A1:2009, Aircraft ground support equipment - General requirements - Part 2: Stability and
strength requirements, calculations and test methods
EN 1915-3:2004+A1:2009, Aircraft ground support equipment - General requirements - Part 3: Vibration
measurement methods and reduction
EN 1915-4:2004+A1:2009, Aircraft ground support equipment - General requirements - Part 4: Noise
measurement methods and reduction
EN ISO 8528-13:2016, Reciprocating internal combustion engine driven alternating current generating sets -
Part 13: Safety (ISO 8528-13:2016, Corrected version 2016-10-15)
EN ISO 12100:2010, Safety of machinery - General principles for design - Risk assessment and risk reduction (ISO
12100:2010)
EN ISO 13850:2015, Safety of machinery - Emergency stop function - Principles for design (ISO 13850:2015)
EN 60204-1:2018, Safety of machinery - Electrical equipment of machines - Part 1: General requirements
EN IEC 62619:2022, Secondary cells and batteries containing alkaline or other non-acid electrolytes - Safety
requirements for secondary lithium cells and batteries, for use in industrial applications (IEC 62619:2022)
ISO 461-1:2003, Aircraft — Connectors for ground electrical supplies — Part 1: Design, performance and test
requirements
ISO 461-2:1985, Aircraft — Connectors for ground electrical supplies — Part 2: Dimensions
ISO 6858:2017, Aircraft — Ground support electrical supplies — General requirements
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document the terms and definitions given in EN ISO 12100:2010, EN 1915-1:2023
and the following apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminology databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at https://www.iso.org/obp/
— IEC Electropedia: available at https://www.electropedia.org/
3.1
ground power equipment
system used to deliver external electrical power to the aircraft, designed to substitute the on-board electrical
power supply
3.2
ground power unit (GPU)
mobile ground power equipment
Note 1 to entry This term includes units mounted on other mobile GSE.
3.3
ground power accessory
components of ground power equipment: cable handling systems, cables, connectors
4 List of hazards
This list of risks and hazards (given at Annex A, Table A.1) is based on EN ISO 12100:2010 and contains the
hazards and hazardous situations, as far as they are dealt with in this document, identified by risk assessment
as significant for this type of machinery and which require action to eliminate or reduce risks. See also the
complementary list of hazards in the other parts of EN 1915 and in the different parts of EN 12312.
5 Safety requirements and/or measures
5.1 General requirements
5.1.1 Ground power equipment shall conform to the relevant requirements of EN 1915-1:2023,
EN 1915-2:2001+A1:2009, EN 1915-3:2004+A1:2009 and EN 1915-4:2004+A1:2009 unless otherwise
specified in this document. They shall also conform to the specific requirements of this document.
5.1.2 Stability and strength calculations shall be carried out in accordance with EN 1915-2:2001+A1:2009.
5.1.3 The overall dimensions of a GPU shall be kept to a minimum (according to EN 1915-1:2023,
introduction — negotiation).
5.1.4 If a GPU is propelled by means of a battery operated drive system, and if this system can achieve a
speed above 3 km/h then it shall conform to EN 1175:2020.
5.1.5 Self-propelled GPU not designed to be pedestrian controlled shall be equipped with driver
accommodation. The driver accommodation shall be in accordance with EN 1915-1:2023.
5.1.6 Restraint systems shall be fitted to all seats on self-propelled GPU with driver accommodation, a lap
type seatbelt as a minimum. The driver accommodation shall be in accordance with EN 1915-1:2023.
5.1.7 Structural parts of pedestrian controlled self-propelled GPU shall not protrude within the operating
range of the tiller.
5.1.8 Self-propelled GPU with driver's cabin shall have an alternative means of exit for the driver in the event
of an emergency. It shall be easily and safely accessible.
5.1.9 The maximum travelling speed of towable GPU shall be stipulated between manufacturer and user
(according to EN 1915-1:2023, introduction — negotiation).
5.1.10 Ground power equipment shall conform to the relevant requirements of ISO 6858:2017 unless
otherwise specified in this document.
5.2 Power sources
5.2.1 Diesel-powered generating sets shall conform to the requirements in EN ISO 8528-13:2016.
5.2.2 On turbine-powered generating sets, the turbine shall be of sufficient power to supply all aircraft the
unit is designed for.
5.2.3 The turbine shall be protected against overspeed, over temperature and low oil pressure.
5.2.4 Turbines shall be equipped with a speed regulation system.
5.2.5 Turbine inlets and outlets shall be arranged so that suck-in and blast risks are avoided, e.g. upwards.
5.2.6 On generators/converters it shall not be possible to reach live parts of the electrical system during
operation, in accordance with EN 60204-1:2018, 6.2.
5.2.7 Battery System (Secondary Cells) powered generating set shall comply with EN IEC 62619:2022.
When Lithium batteries are used the battery management system (BMS) shall provide protection against
overheating and/or thermal runaway in accordance with EN IEC 62619:2022, 8.2.4.
5.3 Cables and connectors
5.3.1 Connectors shall be in accordance with the requirements in ISO 461-1:2003 and ISO 461-2:1985.
5.3.2 Cable and connector assembly shall be fit for use, cable to connectors assembly shall be protected
against water ingress, IPX4 as a minimum.
5.3.3 The minimum length of cables shall be stipulated between manufacturer and user (according to
EN 1915-1:2023, introduction — negotiation).
NOTE Specifications may differ depending on aircraft type and airport of use.
5.3.4 For ground power equipment with more than one connector, the power at each connector shall be
switched individually.
5.3.5 Means shall be provided to stow cables during transport without damage, e.g. bending beyond
intended radius, kinking or twisting or trailing on the ground.
5.3.6 Cables shall withstand being rolled over by any ramp equipment (according to EN 1915-1:2023,
introduction — negotiation).
5.3.7 Cables shall be resistant to environmental influences and fluids commonly found on the ramp, e.g.
water, aircraft fuel, motor oil, hydraulic fluid, deicing/anti-icing fluid (according to EN 1915-1:2023,
introduction — negotiation).
5.3.8 Mechanical assistance shall be provided for lifting the pit cover, where electrical connectors are in the
ground.
5.3.9 On cable handling system for stationary ground power systems consisting in multiple articulated
handling sections mounted on caster wheels, mechanical protection, e.g. additional isolation, tubes, hoses,
edge protection shall be provided at joints or areas of movement within the cable handling system to prevent
damage to the ca
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