Frankfurt Airport unveils wind power plans as part of green energy strategy

Frankfurt Airport is set to turn to wind power to provide the bulk of its electricity as part of its ongoing commitment to meeting its climate protection targets.

Operator, Fraport AG, has revealed that it intends to agree upon an annual minimum purchase quantity with the operator of an offshore wind farm from no later than 2025.

Dr Stefan Schulte, chairman of the executive board, says: “Even in these most challenging times, we remain firmly focused on the challenge of climate protection.

“With this wind power project alone, we plan to obtain around 85% of the electricity used at Frankfurt Airport from renewable sources from 2025.”

Fraport remains committed to covering most of Frankfurt Airport’s electricity consumption using renewable sources by 2030.

The airport claims that the use of renewable energy is a key factor in meeting its self-imposed climate protection targets, which are based on it  reducing its annual CO2 emissions from around 170,000 to 80,000 metric tons per annum by 2030.

The company plans to eliminate all emissions and be CO2-free from 2050.

Under a power purchase agreement, Fraport intends to agree upon the delivery of up to 350 gigawatt hours of green electricity per year with the operator of an offshore wind farm.

Schulte adds: “We are looking for a reliable partner to help us step up our use of renewable energy. This type of agreement allows us to make secure plans for the future without having to implement the project ourselves.”

At the same time, Fraport insists that it is committed to generating its own electricity at the airport, citing the ongoing construction of first large-scale photovoltaic system at Frankfurt Airport as notice of its intentions.

When finished, the solar farm being built on a new cargo hall in CargoCity South, is expected to generate over 1.5 million kilowatt hours of electricity a year – an amount that would power more than 450 four-person households for a year.

Fraport has also pledged to build a photovoltaic plant on the parking garage of the new Terminal 3.

As things stand, these and further measures will take the green electricity share at Frankfurt Airport to around 94% by 2030.