AeroNet: The airport system as a mitigating agent of climate change

Project development

OBJETIVES

The main objectives of the AeroNet project are:

  • Study alternatives for increasing renewable energy production.

  • Ensure carbon neutrality for Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions.

  • Demonstrate the applicability of the project results in real case studies.

  • Developing the tools and mechanisms to measure and evaluate these advances, thereby facilitating external monitoring and accountability for Aena.

  • Facilitating the introduction of the concepts developed in this project into future revisions of Aena's PAC.

Achieving these objectives will bring the airport sector much closer to its goal of zero emissions by 2040.

METHODOLOGY AND WORKPLAN 

The project work plan is organised into eight work packages (WP):

WP1 and WP8 are transversal work packages that ensure the proper coordination of the project and maximise the impact of the project results on society.

WP2 will analyse energy generation and consumption profiles at airports and the potential and feasibility of using green hydrogen and other emerging technologies in airport operations.

WP3 will develop and implement a predictive model for energy flexibility at airports, and WP4 will scale this idea to the entire airport network through the concept of a zero-emission management community.

Finally, WP5 will validate and demonstrate the applicability of the project results in real case studies.

EXPECTED RESULTS

The expected results of the project are:

  • Determining the renewable energy production potential of an airport and studying the technological feasibility of emerging renewable energy generation alternatives will facilitate the implementation and improvement of AENA's roadmap in relation to its net zero carbon targets.
  • The analysis of requirements for the introduction of hydrogen plants is a promising area of research in the transition to cleaner fuels in aviation. Developing efficient and safe technologies for the production and use of hydrogen at airports could have a major impact on reducing emissions and reducing dependence on fossil fuels in the aviation industry.
  • The predictive energy flexibility model obtained in the project will allow the operational evaluation of the different energy alternatives for airports in real time, contributing to the elimination of emissions. This general model for energy flexibility in airports will allow for the optimisation of energy use, demand management, and the reduction of emissions.
  • The definition of an energy community that considers the analysis of distributed generation potential and adaptation to the needs and resources of each airport, taking into account each socio-economic reality, will enable the definition of energy compensation strategies and medium- and long-term planning of actions for the energy transition.
  • The definition of a strategy to create a zero-emission management community in the Spanish airport system could serve as an example for other infrastructures that can also operate in a network and help to decarbonise other sectors. In the long term, this community is also expected to have the potential to go beyond the current Net Zero Carbon targets.