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Green Airports: Decarbonising Heating & Cooling
The UK currently has over 40 commercial airports, ranging from major international hubs like Heathrow, Gatwick, and Manchester, to regional airports across the country. These facilities operate large terminals, logistics buildings, hangars, and energy-intensive systems like ventilation, baggage handling, and airside operations — all of which require heating and cooling 24/7.
With airports under increasing pressure to decarbonise and align with Net Zero aviation roadmaps, geothermal energy — both shallow and deep — provides an untapped, zero-emission solution for thermal energy supply.
Heating Needs in Airports
Heating Needs in Airports
- Terminal space heating
- De-icing operations (runways, aircraft stands)
- Hangars and MRO (Maintenance, Repair & Overhaul) facilities
- Domestic hot water (DHW) in terminals, hotels, staff facilities
Cooling Needs in Airports
Heating Needs in Airports
- Terminal cooling (passenger comfort, electronics)
- Data centres (air traffic control, security, telecoms)
- Cold storage/logistics
- Duty-free and retail environments
Deep Geothermal Heating Potential
Airports built near existing wells or deep aquifers can tap into 70–120°C geothermal brine, ideal for direct-use heating or integration with absorption chillers for trigeneration.
Repurposing old oil or geothermal wells near airports can reduce drilling costs by over 50%. With a COP of 10+ for heat-only deep systems, long-term contracts (25+ years) are viable through Energy Service Company (ESCO) models.
Example Applications:
- Direct heating for terminals, hotels, hangars
- Trigeneration (heating, cooling, electricity) with ORC or absorption chiller integration
- Runway de-icing systems using circulating glycol from geothermal heat exchangers
GSHPs (Ground Source Heat Pumps) for Low Carbon Airports
GSHPs (Ground Source Heat Pumps) for Low Carbon Airports
Shallow systems (100–250m boreholes or energy piles) can be rapidly deployed during airport expansion or retrofit.
Dual-mode heating and cooling enables year-round efficiency. When paired with smart thermal storage, GSHPs can:
- Store cool nighttime air to reduce peak daytime cooling loads
- Recover waste heat from cooling for use in DHW or pre-heating
- Heating COP: 3.5–4.8
- Cooling EER: 5.0+
- Net carbon reduction: Up to 80% with RE-powered GSHPs
UK Estimated Potential
GSHPs (Ground Source Heat Pumps) for Low Carbon Airports
Global Trend: Airports Going Geothermal
- 60–70% of UK airports are suitable for GSHP heating & cooling.
- 15–20% could support deep geothermal systems based on proximity to aquifers or old wells.
Global Trend: Airports Going Geothermal
GSHPs (Ground Source Heat Pumps) for Low Carbon Airports
Global Trend: Airports Going Geothermal
- Zurich Airport (Switzerland): 300 geothermal probes for terminal HVAC
- Pittsburgh International (USA): Developing 7 MW geothermal system
- Athens Airport (Greece): Announced GSHP deployment for new terminal
- Heathrow and Gatwick (UK) : Considering geothermal and ground sourced heat under expansion plans