(Credit: Pixabay)Battery energy storage systems are being installed by On.Energy at several airports in Latin America to help them improve energy reliability and cut carbon emissions.
The energy storage systems will have 39-megawatt hours of capacity and are being put in place at 11 airports by On.Energy and through a collaboration with Mexico-based renewable energy provider Skysense. The energy storage projects will help the airports reduce carbon emissions by 46 metric tons, cut energy costs by more than 25%, and keep airports powered so they can safely operate.
The installations add to five other airport projects in the region by On.Energy that is either operational or in the final stages of commissioning. The total capacity of the airport battery energy storage systems is more than 65 MWh.
“When any airport in the world loses power, it causes a global chain reaction impacting millions of airport operators, airline staff, as well as vendors and passengers,” says Jose Manuel Diaz, On.Energy’s president for South and Central America. “Latin American airports are rapidly adopting BESS to support energy reliability, while also improving efficiency, reducing operational costs, and supporting national decarbonization goals.”
He says the success of the projects offers an example of how airports can continue to expand their energy transitions. Having energy storage ensures that airports don’t lose power, which can impact the operations of travel across multiple sites. Battery energy storage systems store energy from different sources allowing that power to be used at a later time, such as when there is high demand.
All countries in Latin America and the Caribbean have aligned with the Paris Agreement, and clean energy transitions are among the key pieces for them to reach net-zero targets. The sites of the energy storage projects were not disclosed.
Airports across the world have committed to becoming net zero by 2050, as the aviation industry in general seeks to improve emissions and energy efficiency. In June 2021, members of the Airports Council International made their net-zero pledges while urging governments to support their efforts.
Among the ways the ACI is working toward those goals is by installing on-site renewable energy generation and microgrids. It is estimated that the average airport uses nearly 20 kilowatt hours of electricity each year.
In 2021, Pittsburgh’s airport said it became the first in the world to be powered completely by solar energy and natural gas, which is aided by an on-site microgrid. Earlier this year, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport said it would cut Scope 1 and 2 emissions by transitioning to all-electric building systems and committing to using 100% clean energy by 2035.
In October 2022, the International Civil Aviation Organization made also pledged to reach net zero by 2050. The aviation industry in general is estimated to produce more than 2% of the world’s total emissions.
On.Energy has installed battery energy storage systems for businesses and industries across North America and Latin America, including for airports, hotels, and retailers, including projects with Walmart, Hyatt, and Glencore. It says it has more than 100 MWh of battery storage in operation with an additional 3.8 GWh of projects in the works.
