Challenge 1 – Visibility of Energy Use
How can we improve the visibility of energy use to enable better management of future energy systems?
Many airports operate with limited visibility of their energy consumption, often lacking detailed data on how and where energy is used across different facilities, operations, and stakeholders.
This data is not only required for planning energy system upgrades, but it will also play a crucial role in the future optimisation of energy management systems (EMS). Future airport systems are expected to consist of multiple energy vectors. These will need to be effectively managed to reduce the overall peak energy demands, reduce costs, and ensure system resilience.
Three broad challenges have been identified to better understand future needs and ready airports for future systems.
Questions to consider:
- How can we identify future energy supply requirements to meet demand throughout the energy transition?
- How can we provide better visibility of airport energy use for decarbonised system design?
- How do we ready airports to collect the required data for future Emission Monitoring Systems (EMS)?
Challenge 2 – Optimised Energy Management
How can we optimise energy management within airports energy systems through the deployment of technological solutions?
Transition to zero-emission operations and flight will require airports to consider their overall energy system in a new way. There are opportunities to deploy existing technologies in airports to help manage energy demand.
This transition will also require a behavioural shift from airport partners to utilise and integrate with new systems, with three challenges being identified against which to deploy trials of technological solutions to better manage airport energy needs.
Questions to consider:
- “How can we use energy storage and other microgrid solutions as a way to reduce the need for grid reinforcement?”
- “How can we reduce use of APU at the stand, particularly for airports where space and/or power constraints are preventing the use of ground power and pre-conditioned air?”
- How can airports support future grid stability through ancillary services? How do these revenue-generating services impact the economic case for investment?
Challenge 3 - Zero Emission Ground Support Equipment
How can we inform fleet and infrastructure upgrades, operational changes, and staff behaviour to encourage the adoption of zero-emission ground support equipment (GSE)?
Ground Support Equipment (GSE) plays a vital role in airport operations, though is often deprioritised in planning processes. In most cases, GSE is operated by third parties and many decarbonised technology solutions already exist that can significantly reduce related emissions.
A study from IATA suggests the potential impact of electrifying GSE is significant, slashing up to 1.8 million tons annually. Early adopter airports have already demonstrated battery-powered tugs and loaders as well as replacing APUs with fixed electric ground power.
Hydrogen fuelled technologies, however, may be a better fit for heavy-duty tasks.
Despite early demonstrations and adoption, there are still some major challenges to be addressed to completely decarbonising GSE in airports.
Questions to Consider:
- “How can we reduce the emissions of the taxiing phase of the landing and take-off cycle?”
- “How can we inform the safety case for hydrogen in the airport through demonstrations of hydrogen GSE?”
- “How can we retrofit existing ground support equipment with zero-emissions technologies?”
- “How can existing zero emission technologies be deployed to decarbonise GSE operations?”
Challenge 4 – Hydrogen Solutions for Airports
How can we improve the understanding of airport requirements when building the safety case to support the adoption of hydrogen at airports, to service zero-emission flight?
Clarity on what a hydrogen airport might look like in the future is important in enabling the aviation industry to make well-informed decisions on the introduction of required infrastructure at airports. Understanding the commercial viability of a transition to hydrogen is key to setting up the necessary international agreements and planning effectively for delivery methods.
From a technology perspective, it is crucial to have completed fundamental and collaborative research needed to support demonstrations of innovative technologies. Three key priority areas have been identified to achieve the next step in the hydrogen flight transition.
Questions to Consider:
- “How can we determine suitable safety distances during refuelling / defueling of hydrogen aircraft? What is the impact on airport operations?”
- “How can we identify the technology and integration needs for dispensing liquid and gaseous hydrogen for aircraft?”
- “How can we improve modelling capabilities to accurately describe physical phenomena of liquid hydrogen, particularly during dispensing?”
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