Engergy Management
We are adopting many different measures to minimise energy consumption at the Central German airports and organise operations in an increasingly efficient manner. The main challenge lies in the fact that airports require enormous amounts of energy: a number of facilities and systems have to be kept running at all times, while we as the operator have little influence on the utilisation rate of these facilities and systems and therefore on how efficiently the energy is being used.
Our energy management system, which has been in place since 2016 and has been certified according to the international DIN EN ISO 50001 standard, is an important tool in our efforts to continually improve energy efficiency at both the airports. Among other things, it helps us to systematically log and analyse the energy consumption in order to derive and introduce measures to increase our efficiency. It is our goal to continually improve matters in the interests of using energy in an efficient, cost-effective and environmentally-friendly manner.
For example, MFAG is gradually converting the lighting used for its infrastructure. We have, for instance, installed LED technology at our terminals, multi-storey car parks and other airport buildings – and also in the outside areas. This not only applies to the navigation lights on the northern runway at Leipzig/Halle Airport, which were converted as part of the reconstruction work in 2021. We also place great importance on sustainability for new buildings: we assess various concepts and certification options for sustainable building work as well as intelligent building solutions for each investment.
Sustainable energy generation through a solar power unit
MFAG has been purchasing CO2-neutral, green electricity since 2020. At the same time, we are placing greater emphasis on generating renewable energy ourselves. One vehicle and equipment engineering complex at Leipzig/Halle Airport has been equipped with solar panels since 2011 and they have an installed capacity of 230 kWp. We have also been generating environmentally-friendly electricity at Dresden Airport using solar panels (with an installed capacity of 90 kWp) on an extension building to the multi-storey car park since 2010.
We are planning to continue to expand our green electricity production and are examining the open spaces at both the airports to determine where we can set up solar panels. We are also inspecting other roof, parking and façade spaces with the aim of establishing whether they are suitable for generating energy or not.
Efficient energy conversion
A combined heat and power station at Leipzig/Halle Airport has been providing reliable energy supplies for numerous handling facilities and technical areas at the airport in line with the energy-efficient principle of coupling power and heat since 1996. Its key components are gas engines with connected generators to produce electricity. The electrical energy obtained in this way is fed into the airport’s internal network.
The heat that is made available is used to supply hot water and heat buildings using a water circulation system and a heat exchanger and the system provides cooling energy via an absorption transducer in summer. The facility therefore ensures that we are able to effectively use a large proportion of the primary energy.
Plans are currently being drawn up to modernise these facilities for energy conversion. The aim is to ensure that any new facilities are able to operate using green hydrogen.