Heathrow airport is to be powered completely by renewable-sourced electricity from next month as the airport aims to become recognised as zero carbon infrastructure.
As the airport prepares for a highly contentious expansion, yesterday it unveiled ‘Heathrow 2.0’; a landmark new sustainability strategy which contains wide range of targets based upon the airport attaining the status by 2050.
A 2020 milestone target of a 34% reduction in carbon emissions compared to a 1990 baseline has also been established, with additional targets to be set throughout 2017.
The document discusses various ways in which the status will be achieved, with energy efficiency deployment and renewable energy playing a pivotal role.
Most notably the airport has stated that 100% of the electricity it purchases will be sourced from renewable generators as of April 2017, although the document does not reveal any further details such as whether or not it is changing supplier or tariff, or purchasing renewable energy certificates.
It also states that the airport will look to “maximise” on-site or local renewable energy generation but does not set any specific targets.
Heathrow already has a wide array of on-site renewable generators including a 71kWp rooftop solar array on its Terminal 2 building, and a 9MW thermal/1.8MW electric combined heat and power facility also located at T2.
Energy efficiency will be incorporated into all new buildings and infrastructure, while current buildings will receive retrofits to meet a targeted reduction in energy demand to 6.3kWh/PAX before the end of the year.
Meanwhile Heathrow also unveiled measures which it intends to stimulate the uptake and use of electric vehicles at the site, including the introduction of a salary sacrifice scheme for employees to support the purchase of EVs set for later this year.
Last year the airport said it was to install 135 additional EV chargers onsite to add to the 21 it already had.
