Energy

The issue: As well as emissions from aircraft, there are other ways that airports contribute to climate change. This includes the amount of energy used in airport buildings. BAA is one of the top industrial users of energy in the UK. Heathrow's electricity and gas consumption is responsible for the emission of around 266,000 tonnes of CO2 each year. We are working towards calculating Heathrow Airport's total carbon footprint. We are committed to pursuing energy efficient technologies and investing in new technologies that limit our energy use.

Our approach: BAA is committed to reducing CO2 emissions from energy consumption by 15% by 2010, using the emissions in 1990 as a baseline.

BAA is responsible for providing airport infrastructure including terminal buildings. Providing heating, cooling and power for these buildings all contribute to the production of greenhouse gases. We are reducing our CO2 output from these in various ways.

At Heathrow we set annual targets to reduce our carbon dioxide emissions against business as usual forecasts. To help us achieve this we have developed local programmes to influence behavioural change and investment in energy efficient technologies.

Our performance:
Target 2006/07:  To reduce site carbon dioxide emissions from energy consumption by 6% against business as usual forecast, through improvements in energy efficiency.
Performance against target:  Target bettered.
The site carbon dioxide emissions were 9% less than the ‘business as usual’ forecast. This equals further saving of 9,000 tonnes of CO2.

As passenger numbers increase and our facilities expand, we are achieving energy savings through investment in existing equipment and through management of building use by closely monitoring consumption and eliminating waste. We have also continued our programme to change the behaviour of those people who influence energy consumption.

• Construction of a hot water pipeline between the cargo area combined heat and power (CHP) plant and Terminal 5 energy centre at Heathrow. It is anticipated that around 80-85% of the total projected demand for heat from Terminal 5 Phase 1 will be met by using the spare heat load from the existing CHP station. This will save some 11,000 tonnes of CO² emissions per annum, by running the boiler plant in the Terminal 5 energy centre at reduced capacity. This will be of significant benefit to the global environment, whereas reduced NOx and PM10 emissions will benefit the local environment. This project is the largest single contributor to BAA’s target of a 15% reduction in CO², representing 10% of the total abatement required.
• Installation of equipment to improve the efficiency of the chillers at Heathrow and a prolonged shutdown of the central terminal area boiler house.

We have also appointed a full time energy manager at Heathrow.

Our plans:
Target 2006/07: To reduce Heathrow’s direct impact on carbon dioxide emissions by 2% against the business as usual forecast between January and December 2007, through improvements in energy.

Our delivery plan is focused on building on our work to date through improvements in energy efficiency.

Our objectives:

• Support and provide the information and tools necessary for those who influence energy consumption
• Continue our programme of behaviour change through continuous awareness across the airport around good housekeeping
• Continuously review the current performance of our existing assets and optimise performance by targeting low cost quick win opportunities
• To build our site energy supply strategy to 2020 to achieve significant reduction in our CO² emissions.
• This includes feasibility work looking at application of modern low carbon technologies including waste to energy options.