Many airports around the world are now running entirely on renewable energy as the aviation and building sectors look to decarbonise in line with green transition goals. The International Energy Agency (IEA), the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and several other international organizations are encouraging developers to reduce the carbon footprint of their airports to support international climate goals.
ICAO has published a toolkit entitled “A Focus on the Production of Renewable Energy at the Airport Site” that offers advice to developers on decarbonizing airports. It refers to the Paris Agreement's goal of keeping global temperature rise this century to well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, requiring significant decarbonization efforts across all sectors.
Aimed at states, civil aviation authorities and airports, the document is “the first in a series of practical and ready-to-use information documents to support the planning and implementation of airport infrastructure projects that provide significant environmental benefits.” The toolkit has been used by airport developers worldwide to support decarbonization efforts and to develop more environmentally friendly airports.
In India, 80 airports are reportedly running entirely on renewable energy. The Airports Council International has accredited airports in Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Bengaluru as carbon neutral. The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has supported the installation of on-site solar energy projects at several airports across the country. Several airports have adopted green building standards, invested in fleets of electric vehicles (EVs), and installed energy-efficient air conditioning, lighting and other equipment.
According to a press release from India's Ministry of Civil Aviation, the government's airspace flexibility initiative has helped reduce CO2 emissions by 90,000 tonnes between 2020 and 2023. The introduction of central air traffic flow management in 2017 helped reduce delays and optimize capacity, resulting in lower fuel consumption and emissions.
In Australia, CS Energy and Queensland Airports Limited (QAL) recently signed a seven-year deal to power two of the country's busiest airports with fully renewable energy sources from 2025. On the east coast of Australia, Gold Coast and Townsville airports More than 8 million passengers per year will go green to support sustainable tourism destinations. The two airports are expected to undergo significant expansion in preparation for a significant increase in passenger traffic ahead of the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games. QAL has announced it will achieve net-zero emissions by 2030 by offsetting nearly 90 percent of the company's Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions.
In June 2024, Investment Fund Managers Investors and Queensland Investment Corporation, which includes Sydney and Adelaide airports, signed a $467 million renewable energy pact. The cross-state power purchase agreement will ensure the supply of the companies' infrastructure systems with over 500 GWh of green electricity annually.
In the United Kingdom, Bristol Airport announced plans in 2019 to make its operations carbon neutral by 2025 by using 100 percent renewable energy. The Danish energy company Ørsted has agreed to supply 17 million kWh of wind power annually to the airport under a three-year contract. This was expected to reduce Bristol Airport's carbon emissions by 14,000 tonnes within three years. London Gatwick Airport has also switched to using entirely renewable electricity, while Heathrow Airport is aiming for net zero emissions by 2050.
In the United States, Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport in Tennessee became the first airport in the country to be powered by 100 percent solar energy in 2019. The airport's 2.64 MW solar farm was developed with approximately $5 million in funding from the Federal Aviation Administration. At the time of the announcement, Terry Hart, the former CEO of the Chattanooga Airport, stated, “This project has immediate benefits for our airport and our community and we are proud to be an example of renewable energy for other airports, businesses and ours.” Region. While we generate a local renewable resource, we also increase the economic viability of the airport.”
In November of this year, Boise Airport in Idaho announced that it had also transitioned to 100 percent renewable energy sources. The city of Boise signed an agreement to power its airport with energy from the Black Mesa Energy solar project. Indianapolis International Airport is now home to one of the largest airport-based solar farms in the world, providing enough electricity to power 10,000 homes annually. Denver International Airport now produces over 10 MW of electricity via its solar systems. According to a 2020 University of Colorado study, 20 percent of public airports in the U.S. had adopted solar panels in some capacity.
While several airports around the world have already transitioned to green energy, there is no comprehensive effort for airport developers to convert their facilities to fully renewable energy sources. Better international guidelines and stricter national regulations could encourage greater cooperation between airports and contribute to the decarbonization of facilities.
By Felicity Bradstock for Oilprice.com
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