Paris 2024 Olympics: The greenest games ever?

Many of the world’s best athletes are currently competing in the world’s most extensive and expensive sporting event: the Olympic Games. The 2024 Paris Olympic Games are currently underway and are scheduled to conclude on Sunday, August 11. However, they have little to do with first modern olympic games event held in Athens in 1896, both in terms of infrastructure, scale and variety of events and, more importantly, budget. In the second half of the 20th century, the costs of organizing and the revenue generated by the Olympic Games increased dramatically, generating controversy over the burdens borne by the host countries.

According to the Council on Foreign Relations, not a single Olympics has been budgeted in the past 50 years, and some have left their host cities mired in debt. For example, the 2014 Winter Olympics, held in the Russian city of Sochi, were the most expensive in modern history, costing $28.9 billion, a 289 percent overrun. Experts estimate that the debt and costs of hosting the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi cost Russian taxpayers almost $1 billion annually for the foreseeable future.

However, the Paris Olympics could go down in history as the first modern Olympics to not only stay on budget but also turn a profit. According to S&P Global Ratings AnalysisParis budgeted ~$8 billion for the 2024 Olympics when it won the bid in 2017, and then increased the budget by several billion dollars. Those costs are spread relatively evenly between operating costs and new infrastructure. An independent study cited by the IOC estimates that the Paris Games will generate between $7.3 billion and $12.1 billion for the city and the surrounding Île de France region between 2018 and 2034. If the final cost stays in that range, Paris will not only host its cheapest Summer Games in decades, but could also turn a tidy profit.

The city can claim bragging rights for another key milestone: low emissions. Indeed, the Paris Olympics are poised to be the cleanest in decades in terms of carbon dioxide emissions.

The capital of France has announced the date of the Olympic Games Heritage and Sustainability plan, which outlines ambitious ideas to reduce carbon emissions, minimize waste and use renewable energy sources. In the plan, Paris set itself the goal of cutting carbon emissions by more than half to 1.5 million tons. That’s about the same amount of CO2 as 550,000 SUVs produce in a year. While that figure still seems high for a three-week sporting event, it’s worth considering that it’s fewer emissions than the 2021 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, which banned spectators. Indeed, before Tokyo, the London and Rio Olympics generated a significant amount of 3.4 million tons and 3.6 million tons carbon dioxide emissions respectively.

Paris has adopted various measures to achieve its emissions target. To avoid the risk of power outages, many stadiums use generators for their events. Paris 2024, however, has chosen a different approach, focusing on providing energy through the public grid. Paris 2024 is powered by 100% renewable electricity generated in France, from six wind farms and two solar farms. The French state-owned multinational energy company, Electricity of France SAor simply European Development Fundwill supply the same amount of electricity to the grid as consumed by the sports facilities.

This approach is the first of its kind in the history of the Games. This challenge requires connecting or securing existing connections to all sports venues and venues that host members of the public. The matches at France Stadium will be powered directly by electricity from a reliable grid, rather than diesel generators. Once the Olympics are over, these new connections will also benefit other events, helping to reduce the sector’s carbon footprint.

For games, Concord Square has been equipped with a system of retractable electrical terminals installed beneath the road surface, allowing direct connection to the electricity grid. This innovative and sustainable system has also been installed in other event locations, such as Place du Trocadero. These event terminals will be a legacy for the community, promoting more responsible events after the Olympic Games.

The concave shape of the Aquatics Centre roof, used for indoor events, reduces the volume of air to be heated by 30%, while the pools are maintained at 28°C by heat recovery from the adjacent data centre. Meanwhile, the photovoltaic panels installed on the roof are designed to meet around 20% of the building’s electricity needs.

Installed or replaced lighting systems will use less energy thanks to the use of LED technology, providing a reduction of -80% compared to standard lighting. Electrical equipment is reduced to the essentials: fewer plugs, fewer printers, smaller screens, etc. These small changes add up to a big difference in the scale of games.

The city has introduced more innovative installations, including:

• A photovoltaic-powered carport with an area of ​​over 1,000 m2 was built at the bus station to supply electricity to the reception and information centre for international delegations.
• A 400m² floating mobile solar farm on the Seine will produce energy equivalent to the consumption of around 30 two-bedroom apartments in the Village.

Together, these innovations will deliver an 80 percent reduction in energy-related carbon emissions compared to the “standard” model of sporting events using diesel generators, which could set a blueprint for future major sporting events.

By Alex Kimani for Oilprice.com

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