Cologne-Bonn Airport is investing 2.5 million euros in this project. "The expansion of renewable energy is an important step on the way to climate neutrality," says Thilo Schmid, CEO of Cologne-Bonn Airport. "It brings us another step closer to our goal of being climate neutral by 2045 at the latest."
Solar as part of the sustainability strategy
Solar power plants have been a building block in the airport's sustainability activities for many years. The first two systems were put into operation at the airport in 2009. Currently, there are seven of these systems with a total of about 13,000 modules, which produce about 2,800 megawatt hours per year.
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Now, in close coordination with the freight service provider UPS, another system is being installed on its new hangar, which will have a peak output of about 1,500 kilowatts. In addition, the roofs of the Fedex hall (700 kilowatts) and two buildings housing the administration of the airline Eurowings (400 kilowatts) will be equipped with solar. The four installations together will have around 8,600 modules. This will produce around 2,300 megawatt hours per year.
Becoming independent of fossil fuels
In the coming years, the airport will invest additional funds into the energy infrastructure in order to reduce consumption. The goal is to become independent of fossil fuels. In addition to solar energy, the airport is focusing on the emission-free generation of heat and cold using so-called ice storage technology in combination with solar systems and heat pumps. The airport is also investing in a transformer station and a wood chip power plant. (nhp/mfo)
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