ENVIRONMENT NEWS Going green Oliver Clark takes a closer look at some of the latest environmental stories from around the globe.
Ray of light Thunder Bay International Airport (YQT) is set to become the
fi rst solar powered airport in Canada, after work began on a 8.5 MW Solar Park. Once operational, the solar park will be capable of producing
enough energy to power 1,000 homes in its fi rst year and will allow YQT to offset approximately 7,500 tonnes of cargo per year. “Power from the Solar Park will go directly into a 35Kva line
that feeds the airport and then to other consumers when the park is producing more than the airport needs,” Thunder Bay president and CEO Scott McFadden told Airport W
orld. SkyPower and Canadian Solar Inc will deliver the solar park on
land leased by the airport, with funding from Deutsche Bank; the park is expected to become operational in summer 2011. YQT recently completed the replacement of its main runway and taxiway lights with Halogen and LED lights.
Berlin’s noise abatement
programme in doubt Berlin Airports has stated that the cost of its noise abatement programme is not likely to spiral out of control despite continued uncertainty over Berlin Brandenburg Airport’s future fl ight paths. So far the airport has approved 7,000 cost reimbursement
agreements (CRAs) with local residents, totalling almost $40 million and predicts up to 42,000 residents could claim for improvement work with a price tag of €140 million by 2012. However, these estimates are now in doubt after national air
traffi c controller Deutsche Flugischerung submitted plans to the Noise Abatement Committee to deviate from agreed fl ight paths by up to 50 degrees over Berlin. A spokesperson for Berlin Airports said: “Even if there are
changes it is not likely that the money already spent has been wasted, the commission is only talking about minor changes.” A fi nal decision on Berlin Brandenburg’s fl ight paths is
expected by May 2011. News in brief
Eindhoven Airport has announced the goal of becoming a carbon neutral airport by 2014. The regional Dutch airport says it will achieve this through sustainable building practices.
Florida’s Gainesville Regional Airport has been given the go ahead by city commissioners
to install solar panels and gas stations on its land. The airport also had its plan approved for a $665,000 bike path.
London Stansted Airport is to take part in a national trial of a new hydrogen refueling system which will power
two specially
adapted vans. “Airports are perfect locations for trialling return to base hydrogen refuelling and we are delighted that London Stansted airport
will be the location we launch the HOST programme,”
from which said
Dr Graham Cooley, CEO of ITM Power, which is conducting the trial.
AIRPORT WORLD/FEBRUARY-MARCH 2011 75
Wet your whistle San Francisco International Airport has become the fi rst US airport to offer
tap water fi lling stations after security to cut down on the environmental impact of bottled water. Under current Transport Security Administration (TSA) rules, bottled
water is not permitted beyond security, but these restrictions do not apply to empty containers.
CAA plans radical air space overhaul The UK’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is planning the biggest shake-up of UK
airspace for 70 years with emissions reductions a key priority of the reforms. Under the Future Airspace Strategy, the UK’s future airspace system will be
fully integrated as part of the UK/Ireland Functional Airspace Block (FAB) by 2015, reducing emissions by allowing more direct routings. Aircraft holding stacking will increasingly be replaced with Continuous
Descent Approaches (CDAs), which are likely to be introduced across the UK by 2015. Other improvements include increasing navigation accuracy based on
replacement of radar with ADS-B. By 2015-2020, free routing and independent self-separation will be progressively introduced.
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