Tough zero emission goals for airport

Stockholm-Arlanda Airport

Stockholm-Arlanda is Sweden’s largest airport and an important hub for both the Stockholm region and Scandinavia. For the LFV group, the Swedish State enterprise that owns and operates the airport, environment, specifically the climate change issue, has been high priority for many years.

On the green approach to Stockholm-Arlanda Airport © Stefan Sjögren

In four years, LFV has more than halved the carbon dioxide emissions from its own operations at the airport. These operations include space heating of buildings, electricity consumption and the company’s own airport vehicles. LFV´s goal is to cut its own carbon dioxide emissions towards zero by 2012.

But, in the run-up to 2012, there are also tough goals for other operations at the airport such as decreasing the environmental impact of road transport to and from the airport by developing public transportation systems. And of course, the airport, together with the airlines work with green approaches, decreasing fuel consumption and thus carbon dioxide and noise.

Eco taxis enjoy priority

As a major taxi market in the Stockholm region, Stockholm-Arlanda can generate a positive environmental effect on the whole region by showing preference to eco taxis serving the airport. Taxis queue in a designated parking area with access granted by airport registration and eco taxis are given priority. They can often leave the holding area more or less immediately to separate queue for hybrid or renewable fuel powered taxis outside the terminals.

For passengers, this means there is always an eco taxi waiting first in line outside the terminals. In Sweden, the deregulated taxi market lets different taxi companies compete and the customer is free to choose among those available.

After three years of offering this advantage for eco taxies, the share of eco taxis picking up customers at the airport has increased from 1% to 43%. By 2011, at the latest, all taxis operating at the airport will be obliged to be environmentally “clean” vehicles.

Diagram of how a green approach works

Green approaches

Green approaches was introduced at Stockholm-Arlanda during 2006 in collaboration with Scandinavian Airlines (SAS). With this new technology, the pilot relies on communication directly between the airplane’s computers and the air traffic control system to calculate the aircraft’s exact landing time in advance. This means the aircraft can glide during the final stage of landing, with its engines running at lower speed and without unnecessary waiting time in the air. Fuel consumption and noise are reduced, at the same time as flight precision is improved.

Up to now, more than 10,000 green approaches, carried out jointly by LFV, 60 airlines and international air traffic control organisations, have been conducted at the airport. By 2012, 80% of all arrivals to Stockholm-Arlanda shall be offered a green approach.

Each green approach saves up to 150 kg fuel, corresponding to 450 kg of carbon dioxide emissions. If all approaches to Stockholm-Arlanda during 2008 had been green approaches this would have resulted in a carbon dioxide reduction of slightly more than 50,000 tonnes.

The aquifer-the world´s largest energy storage

Managing energy stores

Stockholm-Arlanda Airport consumes as much energy as a city of 25,000 people. Areas as large as one hundred European football pitches need to be cooled in summer and heated in winter. Today the airport mainly uses biofuel-based district heating and green electricity.

Through different measures over a two-year period, LFV has reduced its energy consumption at Stockholm-Arlanda by 24%, equivalent to a full year’s consumption at Sweden´s second largest airport in Gothenburg.

During 2009, an aquifer-based heating and cooling storage system that makes energy production both cheaper and more environmentally friendly, was introduced to Stockholm-Arlanda. The aquifer is located in a nearby boulder ridge and is effectively a huge groundwater reservoir that functions as a thermos.

In summertime, cold water pumped out of the aquifer is used for ground source cooling in the existing district cooling system. The heated water is returned and stored on the warm side of the aquifer until wintertime when it is used to preheat ventilation intake air in buildings and in ground heating coils to melt snow in aircraft parking stands. The cooled water that returns to the aquifer is then stored on the cool side of the ridge until next summer.

Utilising the geothermic properties of the aquifer will reduce the airport’s annual electricity consumption by 4 GWh and its district heating consumption by around 15 GWh, for a total equivalent to the energy consumed by 2,000 single-family homes each year. The aquifer makes it possible for green electricity and bio fuel-based district heating, equivalent to 7000 tonnes carbon dioxide annually, to become available for others to buy.

All active parties in the field of aviation need do whatever they can to contribute to reduced emissions while continuing to give back to society by stimulating economic, social and cultural development. These are examples of actions LFV is taking over the next three years as we recognise our responsibility as an airport.

Stockholm-Arlanda Airport
W: www.arlanda.com