Aviation Sustainability and the Environment, CAPA 02-Dec-2021

This CAPA report features a summary of recent aviation sustainability and environment news, selected from the 300+ news alerts published daily by CAPA. For more information, please contact us.

United Airlines operates first commercial service with one engine powered by unblended SAF

United Airlines operated (01-Dec-2021) the first commercial service using an engine powered by unblended sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).

The Chicago O'Hare-Washington Reagan service operated with a Boeing 737 MAX 8 with over 100 passengers.

The flight was powered by SAF in one engine and traditional jet fuel in the other, aiming to prove there are no operational differences between the two.

The service was operated in partnership with Boeing, CFM International, Virent, and World Energy.

United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby stated the flight demonstrated "the scalable and impactful way companies can join together and play a role in addressing the biggest challenge of our lifetimes". [more - original PR]

Original report: United to Become First in Aviation History to Fly Aircraft Full of Passengers Using 100% Sustainable Fuel

Game-changing flight - in partnership with Boeing, CFM International, Virent and World Energy - set to travel today from ORD to DCA with more than 100 passengers;

Airline also announces new corporate participants joining the Eco-Skies Alliance, an effort to collectively purchase 7.1 million gallons of SAF this year including Microsoft, Salesforce and Visa

United has already committed to purchasing nearly twice the size of the rest of the world's airlines' publicly announced SAF commitments combined

CHICAGO - December 1, 2021 - United today will operate an unprecedented flight that will serve as a turning point in the industry's effort to combat climate change: for the first time in aviation history, a commercial carrier will fly an aircraft full of passengers using 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). Also today, United announced the second round of corporate participants in the airline's Eco-Skies AllianceSM program to collectively contribute towards the purchase of SAF.

United is the world leader in the usage and support for the development of SAF, an alternative fuel made with non-petroleum feedstocks, already having agreements to purchase nearly twice as much SAF as the known agreements of all other global airlines combined. SAF has the potential to deliver the performance of petroleum-based jet fuel but with a fraction of its carbon footprint, and according to the U.S. Department of Energy, the country's vast feedstock resources are enough to meet the projected fuel demand of the entire U.S. aviation industry.

"United continues to lead from the front when it comes to climate change action," said United CEO Scott Kirby, who will fly onboard today's historic SAF flight. "Today's SAF flight is not only a significant milestone for efforts to decarbonize our industry, but when combined with the surge in commitments to produce and purchase alternative fuels, we're demonstrating the scalable and impactful way companies can join together and play a role in addressing the biggest challenge of our lifetimes."

The demonstration flight - which will depart today with more than 100 passengers from Chicago's O'Hare International Airport and land at Washington, D.C.'s Reagan National Airport - will be on a new United 737 MAX 8 and use 500 gallons of SAF in one engine and the same amount of conventional jet fuel in the other engine to further prove there are no operational differences between the two and to set the stage for more scalable uses of SAF by all airlines in the future. Currently, airlines are only permitted to use a maximum of 50% SAF on board. The SAF used on today's flight is drop-in ready and compatible with existing aircraft fleets.

United is operating this unprecedented flight in partnership with Boeing, CFM International*, Virent - a subsidiary of Marathon - whose technology enables 100% drop-in SAF, and World Energy - the world's first and North America's only commercial SAF producer. United's Kirby will be joined by executives from each of those companies on today's flight along with other business leaders, government officials, NGOs and members of the media.

"Boeing is proud to support United on this historic event as we work together to make aviation more sustainable," said Ihssane Mounir, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing for The Boeing Company. "As an industry, we are committed to addressing climate change, and sustainable aviation fuels are the most measurable solution to reduce aviation carbon emissions in the coming decades. No one entity can decarbonize aviation alone and it will require partnerships like this to ensure aviation is safe and sustainable for future generations."

"We are honored to be part of this landmark event," said Gaël Méheust, president & CEO of CFM International. "Drop-in SAF is something our industry can adopt now to begin making inroads on our commitment to be net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Along with our parent companies, GE Aviation and Safran Aircraft Engines, we applaud United for taking this bold initiative and look forward to even greater cooperation in the future."

"We're excited to partner with this group of innovative companies that are leading the way in sustainable aviation," said Dave Kettner, president and general counsel of Virent. "Virent's proprietary technology demonstrates that SAF can be 100% renewable and 100% compatible with our current aviation fleet and infrastructure. We are proud to be playing a role in this advancement toward sustainable aviation fuels."

"When we fly, we connect, and our demand for the connections aviation makes possible are only going to grow," said Gene Gebolys, CEO of World Energy. "But we need to develop affordable, high energy density, low-carbon liquid fuels at scale everywhere to allow those connections to be made sustainably. The pioneering work is the hardest work, and United has been with us from the very start. The flight path ahead will require tremendous teamwork. We are fortunate to have partners like United to do that work and are thrilled to be a part of this important milestone today."

United's Eco-Skies Alliance program was launched in April 2021 and now has collectively contributed toward the purchase of more than 7 million gallons of SAF this year alone. With its nearly 80% greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions on a lifecycle basis compared to conventional jet fuel, this is enough SAF to eliminate approximately 66,000 metric tons of GHG emissions, or enough to fly passengers more than 460 million miles. Including today's newly announced participants, the program has nearly 30 participants including companies like DHL Global Forwarding, HP Inc. and Nike.

The new participants include:

United to Become First in Aviation History to Fly Aircraft Full of Passengers Using 100% Sustainable Fuel

Game-changing flight - in partnership with Boeing, CFM International, Virent and World Energy - set to travel today from ORD to DCA with more than 100 passengers;

Airline also announces new corporate participants joining the Eco-Skies Alliance, an effort to collectively purchase 7.1 million gallons of SAF this year including Microsoft, Salesforce and Visa

United has already committed to purchasing nearly twice the size of the rest of the world's airlines' publicly announced SAF commitments combined

CHICAGO - December 1, 2021 - United today will operate an unprecedented flight that will serve as a turning point in the industry's effort to combat climate change: for the first time in aviation history, a commercial carrier will fly an aircraft full of passengers using 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). Also today, United announced the second round of corporate participants in the airline's Eco-Skies AllianceSM program to collectively contribute towards the purchase of SAF.

United is the world leader in the usage and support for the development of SAF, an alternative fuel made with non-petroleum feedstocks, already having agreements to purchase nearly twice as much SAF as the known agreements of all other global airlines combined. SAF has the potential to deliver the performance of petroleum-based jet fuel but with a fraction of its carbon footprint, and according to the U.S. Department of Energy, the country's vast feedstock resources are enough to meet the projected fuel demand of the entire U.S. aviation industry.

"United continues to lead from the front when it comes to climate change action," said United CEO Scott Kirby, who will fly onboard today's historic SAF flight. "Today's SAF flight is not only a significant milestone for efforts to decarbonize our industry, but when combined with the surge in commitments to produce and purchase alternative fuels, we're demonstrating the scalable and impactful way companies can join together and play a role in addressing the biggest challenge of our lifetimes."

The demonstration flight - which will depart today with more than 100 passengers from Chicago's O'Hare International Airport and land at Washington, D.C.'s Reagan National Airport - will be on a new United 737 MAX 8 and use 500 gallons of SAF in one engine and the same amount of conventional jet fuel in the other engine to further prove there are no operational differences between the two and to set the stage for more scalable uses of SAF by all airlines in the future. Currently, airlines are only permitted to use a maximum of 50% SAF on board. The SAF used on today's flight is drop-in ready and compatible with existing aircraft fleets.

United is operating this unprecedented flight in partnership with Boeing, CFM International*, Virent - a subsidiary of Marathon - whose technology enables 100% drop-in SAF, and World Energy - the world's first and North America's only commercial SAF producer. United's Kirby will be joined by executives from each of those companies on today's flight along with other business leaders, government officials, NGOs and members of the media.

"Boeing is proud to support United on this historic event as we work together to make aviation more sustainable," said Ihssane Mounir, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing for The Boeing Company. "As an industry, we are committed to addressing climate change, and sustainable aviation fuels are the most measurable solution to reduce aviation carbon emissions in the coming decades. No one entity can decarbonize aviation alone and it will require partnerships like this to ensure aviation is safe and sustainable for future generations."

"We are honored to be part of this landmark event," said Gaël Méheust, president & CEO of CFM International. "Drop-in SAF is something our industry can adopt now to begin making inroads on our commitment to be net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Along with our parent companies, GE Aviation and Safran Aircraft Engines, we applaud United for taking this bold initiative and look forward to even greater cooperation in the future."

"We're excited to partner with this group of innovative companies that are leading the way in sustainable aviation," said Dave Kettner, president and general counsel of Virent. "Virent's proprietary technology demonstrates that SAF can be 100% renewable and 100% compatible with our current aviation fleet and infrastructure. We are proud to be playing a role in this advancement toward sustainable aviation fuels."

"When we fly, we connect, and our demand for the connections aviation makes possible are only going to grow," said Gene Gebolys, CEO of World Energy. "But we need to develop affordable, high energy density, low-carbon liquid fuels at scale everywhere to allow those connections to be made sustainably. The pioneering work is the hardest work, and United has been with us from the very start. The flight path ahead will require tremendous teamwork. We are fortunate to have partners like United to do that work and are thrilled to be a part of this important milestone today."

United's Eco-Skies Alliance program was launched in April 2021 and now has collectively contributed toward the purchase of more than 7 million gallons of SAF this year alone. With its nearly 80% greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions on a lifecycle basis compared to conventional jet fuel, this is enough SAF to eliminate approximately 66,000 metric tons of GHG emissions, or enough to fly passengers more than 460 million miles. Including today's newly announced participants, the program has nearly 30 participants including companies like DHL Global Forwarding, HP Inc. and Nike.

The new participants include:

• American Family Insurance
• Biogen
• Bolloré Logistics
• CWT
• Maersk
• Meta
• Microsoft
• Palo Alto Networks
• Salesforce
• Visa
• Yusen Logistics
• Zurich North America

Today's SAF flight and new Eco-Skies Alliance participants are among the latest accomplishments towards United's goal to be 100% green by reducing its GHG emissions 100% by 2050, without relying on traditional carbon offsets. In a further step to build transparency and enable certified SAF emissions reductions for its corporate customers, last month United partnered with Microsoft, Air bp, and the Roundtable on Sustainable Aviation Biomaterials in the first ever book-and-claim pilot.

United's 100% green commitment

Here are some of the ways United plans to make sustainability the new standard in flight:

• United recently agreed to purchase 1.5 billion gallons of SAF from Alder Fuels - enough to fly more than 57 million passengers and is also an investor in Fulcrum BioEnergy, where United has an option to purchase up to 900 million gallons of additional SAF.
• In July 2021, United Aviate Ventures (UAV) announced that along with Breakthrough Energy Ventures and Mesa Airlines, it has invested in electric aircraft startup Heart Aerospace. Heart Aerospace is developing the ES-19, a 19-seat electric aircraft that has the potential to fly customers with zero emissions when powered by renewable electricity.
• In July 2021, Air Transport World magazine named United its Eco-Airline of the Year for the third time.
• In June 2021, as part of its agreement with Boom Supersonic, United announced plans to purchase 15 of Boom's "Overture" airliners (with an option for 35 more). Slated to carry passengers in 2029, the net-zero aircraft plans to fly on 100% SAF.
• In February 2021, United announced an agreement to work with Archer Aviation to accelerate the development and production of their electric aircraft - an urban mobility solution that has the potential to serve as an 'air taxi,' giving United customers another opportunity to reduce their carbon footprint before they even board a United flight.
• In 2020, United became the first airline to announce a commitment to invest in direct air capture, a carbon capture and sequestration technology. United remains committed to investing in carbon capture and sequestration as a key pathway to achieving its climate goals.
• In 2020, the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) named United as the only airline globally to its 2020 Climate 'A List' for the airline's actions to cut GHG emissions, mitigate climate risks and develop the low-carbon economy, marking the seventh consecutive year that United had the highest CDP score among U.S. airlines.
• In 2019, United operated the Flight for the Planet, which represented the most-eco-friendly commercial flight of its kind in the history of commercial aviation.
• In 2018, United became the first U.S. airline to commit to reducing its GHG emissions, by 50% by 2050. This goal has since been superseded by the airline's 100% green commitment.
• In 2016, United became the first airline globally to use SAF in regular operations on a continuous basis with SAF from World Energy.

Qantas Airways announces Qantas Frequent Flyer 'Green' membership tier

Qantas Airways announced (26-Nov-2021) Qantas Frequent Flyers who make sustainable choices at home and when they travel will be rewarded under a new Green membership tier, scheduled to roll out early 2022.

The Green tier will sit alongside existing flying tiers, and is designed to educate, encourage and reward the airline's frequent flyers.

Members will need to complete at least five sustainable activities across six areas, including flying, travel, lifestyle, sustainable purchases, reducing impact and giving back, each year to achieve Green tier status.

Once achieved, members will be rewarded with benefits like bonus Qantas Points or status credits.

These benefits will be in addition to the rewards they get under their existing flying status or as part of Points Club.

The initiative has been driven by feedback from frequent flyers, with research showing almost two thirds want to be more aware of their impact on the environment and would like support in their efforts to be more sustainable.

While the programme will not officially start until 2022, from 26-Nov-2021 frequent flyers who offset their aeronautical services, home and car, install solar panels or make a contribution towards protecting the Great Barrier Reef will see these actions go towards meeting their sustainability target as part of attaining Green tier status.

Other environmentally friendly behaviours, like walking to work and contributing to the purchase of sustainable aviation fuel, will also be rewarded after the programme launches officially next year.

From 29-Nov-2021, members can offset their home and car emissions through the Frequent Flyer programme.

The investment from customers will see Qantas support more conservation and environmental projects.

This includes restoring local inland ecosystems, reforestation projects, Indigenous fire management projects in Arnhem Land and the development of wind farms in developing countries. [more - original PR]

Original report: QANTAS FREQUENT FLYERS TO BE REWARDED FOR BEING SUSTAINABLE

• New Green tier to be added to airline loyalty program alongside existing Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum and Platinum One flying tiers.
• Frequent flyers now able to offset emissions in their everyday lives and earn Qantas Points, as they already can with flights.
• New initiatives are in addition to the national carrier's progress towards net zero emissions by 2050.

Qantas Frequent Flyers who make sustainable choices at home and when they travel will be rewarded under a new Green membership tier to roll out early next year.

The Green tier will sit alongside existing flying tiers, and is designed to educate, encourage and reward the airline's 13 million frequent flyers for everything from offsetting their flights, staying in eco-hotels, walking to work and installing solar panels at home.

Qantas will be the first airline in the world to reward frequent flyers for being more sustainable in the air and on the ground.

Members will need to complete at least five sustainable activities across six areas - flying, travel, lifestyle, sustainable purchases, reducing impact and giving back - each year to achieve Green tier status. Once achieved, members will be rewarded with benefits like bonus Qantas Points or status credits. These benefits will be in addition to the rewards they get under their existing flying status or as part of Points Club.

The initiative has been driven by feedback from frequent flyers, with research showing almost two-thirds want to be more aware of their impact on the environment and would like support in their efforts to be more sustainable.

While the program will not officially start until early next year, from today frequent flyers who offset their flights, home and car, install solar panels or make a contribution towards protecting the Great Barrier Reef will see these actions go towards meeting their sustainability target as part of attaining Green tier status.

Other environmentally friendly behaviours, like walking to work and contributing to the purchase of sustainable aviation fuel, which significantly reduces the emissions from flying, will also be rewarded after the program launches officially next year.

Offset your life

From today, members can offset their home and car emissions through the Frequent Flyer program, helping support high quality and verified carbon offset projects in Australia and around the world.

The investment from customers will see Qantas, which is already one of the largest private sector buyers of Australian carbon credits, support more conservation and environmental projects. This includes restoring local inland ecosystems, reforestation projects, Indigenous fire management projects in Arnhem Land and the development of wind farms in developing countries.

In practical terms, members can use a simple calculator on the Frequent Flyer website to estimate direct emissions from their home and car and choose to offset them for a year at a time.

Members earn 10 Qantas Points per $1 spent when they offset their home or car. The average annual cost to offset home energy for a family of four with two cars would be approximately $200 or 26,000 Qantas Points.

If just 100,000 frequent flyers offset their home and car emissions for a year, the initiative could see a reduction of more than 1 million tonnes of carbon - the same amount that would be saved from installing 170,000 rooftop solar panels.

This initiative complements Qantas' existing Fly Carbon Neutral, which is the world's leading offset program, with 11 per cent of customers on qantas.com offsetting their carbon emissions. Qantas matches customer contributions dollar for dollar.

CEO commentary

Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce said sustainability was set to become a core part of the Frequent Flyer program and of the national carrier's approach more broadly.

"Our customers are concerned about climate change and so are we. There's a lot of action we're taking as an airline to reduce our emissions and that means we have the framework to help our customers offset and take other steps to reduce their own footprint.

"This new Green tier is a way of encouraging and recognising those who want to do their part by offering Qantas Points or status credits, which we know helps shape customer choices.

"This isn't the first time we've used points to reward members for taking positive action in their own lives. We've seen it work when we've provided points for walking through our wellbeing app, while the vaccination reward has been taken up by more than 600,000 members already.

"Offsetting is one of the main ways Australia can reduce its net emissions in the short to medium term until new low emission technology becomes available.

"As an airline, we're looking at structural changes to reduce our greenhouse gases, including investment in more efficient aircraft that can cut emissions by 15 per cent and using sustainable aviation fuel that typically cuts it by up to 80 per cent.

"In Europe and the United States, there's a growing sustainable aviation fuel sector that proves the potential for Australia to create one of its own. We're having conversations with the rest of the industry and governments on how we kickstart that. In the meantime, we are finalising our first significant purchase of sustainable aviation fuel."

Qantas Group action on climate change

These new initiatives for frequent flyers are an extension of the Qantas Group's commitment to taking action on climate change and achieving net zero emissions from its own operations by 2050. Qantas was only the second airline in the world to commit to net zero emissions, back in 2019.

The Group has four pillars that support its net zero target:

• Working with governments and bioenergy providers on the development of sustainable aviation fuel production in Australia, which the Qantas Group has committed $50 million towards.
• Investing in next generation and low emission aircraft, which reduce fuel burn.
• Offsetting emissions by investing in high quality and verified projects.
• Ongoing work to reduce fuel burn as part of day to day operations, including through smarter flight planning.

The Group is currently developing a pathway towards interim 2030 targets and will provide a significant update early next year.

Iberia begins operations of 10,000sqm solar plant

Iberia launched (01-Dec-2021) a 10,000sqm solar plant at its La Munoza facilities for its own use, in collaboration with Getting Greener.

Installed on the roof of the motor workshop, the solar plant comprises a 2000 kWp solar field, producing around 2.7 million kWh yearly, a reduction of 32,000 tons of CO2 during the project lifetime.

The project included installation of 5650 340Wp solar panel modules, 14 inverters, 6km of aluminium tube, 11km of aluminium and steel structure, 2000 anchor points and over 25km of cable.

Getting Greener implemented a remote system to monitor the facility, providing access to information in real time.

The project's second phase is underway, involving a 15,000sqm extension of the solar plant to the roof of hangar six and general workshops, to generate a further 3MW of power.

The plant will reach a total of 10MW of power in the next three years, with an installation of 50,000sqm and a production over 13 million kWh.

As part of the framework agreement, Iberia's equipment at the facility will be replaced with more efficient technology.

Iberia will cover the EUR12 million plan using the savings obtained at its facilities. [more - original PR - Spanish]

Original report: Iberia y Getting Greener comienzan a operar la mayor planta de autoconsumo del Ibex en La Muñoza

Iberia y Getting Greener comienzan a operar la mayor planta de autoconsumo del Ibex en La Muñoza

• Forma parte de un ambicioso plan para alcanzar un total de 10MW de potencia en los próximos tres años, con una producción de más de 13 millones de kwh, equivalente al consumo de más de 4.000 hogares

• Este plan supondrá un coste por parte de Getting Greener de más de 12 millones de euros, que Iberia sufragará con los ahorros obtenidos en sus instalaciones

• La instalación que ya ha comenzado a operar en pruebas ocupa toda la cubierta útil del taller de motores en La Muñoza, 10.000 metros cuadrados. Alcanzará 2MW y generará 80 millones de kW hora, el equivalente al consumo de 800 hogares

• Además, ya se ha puesto en marcha el diseño de la siguiente instalación de autoconsumo de más de 3MW de potencia, que ocupará las cubiertas del hangar 6, central de servicios y talleres (una superficie de otros 15.000 m2), con una producción que superará los 4 millones de kwh, equivalente al consumo de 1.200 hogares
• La hoja de ruta entre Iberia y Getting Greener incluye también la sustitución de otros equipos de gran consumo energético (climatización, iluminación y distintas operaciones en los hangares) por otros más eficientes

Iberia y Getting Greener han finalizado ya la instalación de la mayor planta de autoconsumo de entre las empresas o grupos del Ibex 35, que generará 80 millones de kilovatios hora, el equivalente al consumo de 800 hogares.

Concretamente, esta primera planta de autoconsumo se ha instalado sobre la cubierta del taller de motores, 10.000 metros cuadrados con 2.000 kWp en campo solar que producirá alrededor 2,7 millones de kWh/año, lo que supone 32.000 toneladas de CO2 menos durante la vida del proyecto.

Para la instalación se han puesto en funcionamiento 5.650 Módulos de paneles solares de 340Wp, 14 inversores, 6 Km de tubo de aluminio, 11 Km de estructura de aluminio y acero, 2000 puntos de anclaje y más de 25 Km de cable. Además, Getting Greener ha implantado un sistema en remoto para monitorizar la instalación, que tendrá acceso a la información en tiempo real y podrá compartir con los empleados que trabajen en los edificios y visitantes de las instalaciones.

12 millones de euros y 50.000 metros cuadrados de extensión

Con esta primera planta foltovoltaica, Iberia y Getting Greener dan el primer paso de un proyecto de eficiencia energética en las instalaciones de la aerolínea La Muñoza que supondrá un coste de más de 12 millones de euros, y que Iberia irá sufragando con los ahorros obtenidos en sus instalaciones, lo que permitirá proteger la liquidez de la compañía.

Este ambicioso plan alcanzará un total de 10MW de potencia en los próximos tres años, con una instalación de 50.000 metros cuadrados y una producción de más de 13 millones de kwh, equivalente al consumo de más de 4.000 hogares.

Iberia y Getting Greener trabajan ya en la segunda fase del proyecto, con la extensión de esta planta solar de autoconsumo a la cubierta del hangar 6 y talleres generales, lo que supondrá otros 15.000 metros cuadrados adicionales y la generación de un total de 14.000.000 kilowatios hora cuando el proyecto se haya finalizado. Esto supondrá más de 3MW de potencia, con una producción que superará los 4 millones de kwh, equivalente al consumo de 1.200 hogares.

Equipos más eficientes

El acuerdo marco alcanzado con Getting Greener incluye también la sustitución de equipos en sus instalaciones de La Muñoza y que consumen una gran cantidad de energía por otros que disponen de la tecnología más eficiente y segura del mercado.

Esta actualización le permitirá modernizar sus equipos, reducir su consumo de electricidad y agua y, por tanto, disminuir la huella de carbono de la actividad desarrollada en las instalaciones más grandes de que dispone en tierra.

Las medidas que está tomando Iberia generan efectos positivos sobre la descarbonización y el clima, pues reducirán las emisiones de CO2 a la atmósfera, favoreciendo con ello el objetivo de limitar el aumento de la temperatura media global en 1,5ºC.

Objetivo: 0 emisiones netas en 2050

Iberia forma parte de IAG, que ha sido el primer grupo aéreo en comprometerse a lograr 0 emisiones netas en 2050. Para lograrlo, la aerolínea está desarrollando su apuesta por la sostenibilidad sobre tres pilares: operaciones más eficientes −donde se incluyen todas las iniciativas de renovación de flota, reducción del consumo de combustible y electrificación de sus vehículos, así como de eficiencia de sus instalaciones−; una experiencia de viaje más sostenible para sus clientes −a través de la digitalización de servicios, la eliminación progresiva de plásticos a bordo, el desarrollo de su sistema de gestión de residuos y la compensación de la huella de carbono−; y su compromiso con la transición ecológica de la aviación, sobre todo, a través de su colaboración en la investigación y desarrollo de combustibles de origen sostenible.

Christchurch Airport announces renewable energy park

Christchurch International Airport announced (01-Dec-2021) it is committing 400 hectares of its Harewood campus to Kōwhai Park, a new platform for generating renewable energy at scale to enable businesses to transition away from fossil fuels.

The park was launched on 01-Dec-2021 and will scale up over the next 30 years.

Phase One will deliver a 220 hectare solar array capable of generating 150 megawatts of electricity on the airport campus.

This will support future development of green fuel production for land and air transport, green data centres and green vertical farming.

Solar Bay is committing NZD100 million (USD68.1 million) to the development of Phase One.

Christchurch Airport CEO Malcolm Johns says Kōwhai Park is part of the airport's plan to become climate positive over the coming decade and to maintain its world leading position on sustainability. [more - original PR]

Original report: Net Zero 2050 - Christchurch Airport announces renewable energy park

Christchurch Airport is committing 400 hectares of its Harewood campus to Kōwhai Park - a new platform for generating renewable energy at scale to enable businesses to transition away from fossil fuels.

Kōwhai Park was launched this afternoon with Energy Minister Megan Woods, Climate Change Minister James Shaw and Christchurch Mayor Lianne Dalziel planting two kōwhai trees on its site, next to the century old kōwhai the park is named after.

The Park will scale up over the next 30 years and Phase One will deliver a 220-hectare solar array capable of generating 150 megawatts of electricity (enough to power 30,000 homes, or around 20% of Christchurch's current residential electricity use) on the airport campus. This will support future development of green fuel production for land and air transport, green data centres and green vertical farming.

Australian renewable energy fund, Solar Bay, is committing $100 million to the development of Phase One. Investment Director Jack Sherratt says New Zealanders can be extremely proud of Christchurch Airport's initiative.

"There is nothing else like this in New Zealand - it's innovative, far ahead of its time and absolutely world-leading in every sense. The Phase One solar array is 50 times larger than any existing array in the country - and it's just the beginning. This will accelerate Canterbury's low carbon future.""

- Jack Sherratt

Christchurch Airport Chief Executive Malcolm Johns, says Kōwhai Park is part of the airport's plan to become climate positive over the coming decade and to maintain its world leading position on sustainability.

"Over the past decade, our team has systematically decarbonised our business. We've reduced 85% of our direct emissions and we're on track to be carbon zero well before the city's goal of 2030 and New Zealand's goal of 2050. We want to enable the rest of the economy to decarbonise at the fastest possible rate. That is what Kōwhai Park is about."

- Malcolm Johns

Malcolm Johns says Kōwhai Park will deliver green energy so other businesses can transition.

"As we decarbonise, demand on our renewable energy supply is expected to increase by 68%. Kōwhai Park will, over time, help meet that additional demand and provide a resilient supply of renewable energy Canterbury and New Zealand can rely on.

"It will also assist aviation to decarbonise and decouple from fossil fuels. In New Zealand we're likely to see both electric and hydrogen-fuelled planes on our domestic routes over the next few decades. Kōwhai Park can support this transition at Christchurch," says Malcolm Johns.

Jack Sherratt says Kōwhai Park is perfectly located.

"It's in close proximity to New Zealand's second largest city, the Canterbury Plains are flat and sunny, and the park has Orion's lines network (supplying Christchurch) on one side and Transpower's national grid pylons on the other. It's the ultimate site."

Malcolm Johns says Kōwhai Park is beyond just solar and is a platform of scale to enable multi sector energy transition in Canterbury and nationally over many decades.

Aeroports de Montreal partners with SOFIAC for large scale emissions reduction project

Aeroports de Montreal partnered (29-Nov-2021) with SOFIAC to develop a large scale energy efficiency and greenhouse gas emissions reduction project for deployment at Montreal Mirabel International Airport and Montreal Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport.

The project will be rolled out over the next two years and will involve various construction works to improve the sustainability of infrastructure at both airports; serving also as a precursor to future SOFIAC projects which will generate local economic benefits amounting to tens of millions of dollars.

SOFIAC CEO Michel Méthot stated: "This project will be reimbursed over a 15 year period solely by using a portion of the energy savings generated and will greatly contribute to our local green economy". [more - original PR]

Original report: ADM Aéroports de Montréal and SOFIAC Launch a Large-Scale Energy Efficiency Project at YUL and YMX

SOFIAC is pleased to announce a new partnership with ADM Aéroports de Montréal to develop a large-scale energy efficiency and greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction project. Decarbonization, the implementation of innovative energy solutions, as well as significant energy cost and consumption reductions are at the heart of this significant project that will cover all airport infrastructure at the YUL Montreal-Trudeau International Airport and YMX International Aerocity of Mirabel locations.

According to Philippe Rainville, President and Chief Executive Officer at ADM Aéroports de Montréal Airport, "This partnership with SOFIAC will enable ADM to significantly accelerate efforts to achieve carbon neutrality. Our organization is firmly committed to changing how we do things and being more proactive in the fight against climate change. Although the YUL air terminal emits the least GHG emissions compared to other Canadian airport terminals, we firmly believe that the innovative SOFIAC approach will help us further reduce emissions. Securing the future of the airline industry involves concrete actions that, as our initiative targets, help key players in the industry reduce their environmental footprints."

According to Michel Méthot, Chief Executive Officer at SOFIAC, "SOFIAC is extremely proud to launch its first large-scale project with ADM Aéroports de Montréal. We are starting the procurement phase of this infrastructure investment based on properly established benchmarks thanks to invaluable months of collaboration. This project will be reimbursed over a 15-year period solely by using a portion of the energy savings generated and will greatly contribute to our local green economy."

This construction project will be rolled out over the next two years and is a precursor to a long series of SOFIAC projects that will generate local economic benefits amounting to tens of millions of dollars. The SOFIAC intermediary mechanism eliminates barriers to the implementation of energy efficiency infrastructure projects and successfully aligns the needs of clients with those of key stakeholders in the energy efficiency market, namely high-quality entrepreneurs, equipment suppliers, and consultants. This first large-scale project demonstrates SOFIAC's commitment to the energy transition and the interesting financing and intermediation market aspects of the innovative SOFIAC approach.

SOFIAC was launched in January 2021 by Econoler and Fondaction with the support of the ministère de l'Énergie et des Ressources naturelles du Québec (MERN). SOFIAC completed its first round of financing last October, which totalled $200 M.

ADM is committed to achieving precise sustainability objectives including energy efficiency improvements, significant GHG emission reductions, water consumption reductions, and the ultimate objective of zero waste.