About the project
Stargate’s mission is to develop, test and deploy a set of innovative solutions to make aviation and airports significantly greener and more sustainable. To support this mission, digital twin technology has been deployed at Brussels Airport, and partner airports in Athens, Budapest, and Toulouse, to help test, simulate and refine their pathways to net-zero.
Description of success
As part of the Stargate initiative, a project partner, Integrated Environmental Solutions (IES) developed a digital twin for Brussels Airport, a three-runway single-terminal international airport, spread over 1,250 ha.
Using rigorous modelling scenarios, the digital twin was used to simulate and verify the plan developed by Brussels Airport’s to cut emissions across its buildings. The project has therefore verified that the airport has the potential to save up to 63% CO₂ against the 2019 baseline year, if the various energy saving measures proposed are employed.
By focusing on electrification, and investing in additional renewable energy sources, Brussels Airport has shown that it can be less dependent on external energy providers in order to be carbon-free by 2030.
Highlights
A digital twin has been developed for Brussels Airport, encompassing 40 of its most energy-intensive buildings.
The digital twin enabled virtual testing of various energy and carbon reduction measures.
The modelling scenarios have shown the potential of up to 63% CO₂ savings verified against the 2019 baseline year.
The digital twin modelling has demonstrated that Brussels Airport Company’s ambitious net-zero by 2030 target (Scope 1 and 2 emissions) is feasible.
Outputs
IES created a digital replica of the 40 most energy-intensive buildings at Brussels Airport before modelling scenarios, such as installing PV solar, EV chargers and electrifying heating, to find the most effective routes to net zero carbon emissions by 2030.
The modelling has demonstrated the airport’s plan is a robust decarbonisation pathway and, as such, Brussels Airport is now further deploying zero-carbon energy solutions over the next six years.
The project marks a significant step up from the current use of digital twin technology at airports, where it has most commonly been used in experiments to optimise commercial operations.
The collaboration with Brussels Airport through Stargate is therefore one of the first examples of digital twins being deployed for decarbonisation modelling at full scale at an airport.
Impact
The project has confirmed that Brussels Airport Company's plan to have its buildings reach net-zero emissions by 2030 is feasible, drastically accelerating the airport’s initial target of net zero by 2050.
Digital twins can play a vital role in uncovering operational efficiencies, allowing organisations to unlock significant commercial benefits, such as reduced operating costs. However, they also play an increasingly important role in informing longer-term decarbonisation investments, allowing organisations to simulate and forecast the impact of different scenarios to form a clear pathway to net-zero. This capability will become ever more crucial as organisations feel the pressure to deliver on ambitious climate targets and will further allow them to track and communicate their progress over time.
Lessons
Complex sites such as airports have challenging energy requirements. While this project will use on-site renewable power generation as much as possible, it is inevitable that there will still be periods when external power is required to meet the site’s energy demands. Consequently, electrification has been a key focus of the Stargate project. Through the digital twin, it has been possible to verify that Brussels Airport can achieve a complete shift away from natural gas to using all-electric systems. This is key to ensuring that any excess energy demand that cannot be met through on-site generation can be decarbonised with renewable offsite sources.
Other information
The approach is being replicated at fellow Stargate partner airports in Athens, Budapest and Toulouse. The partner airports are also collaborating with IES to develop digital twins for their respective locations to support their decarbonisation goals.
Figure 1: Brussels Airport Digital Twin. ©Stargate 2024
Figure 2: Brussels Airport Digital Twin. ©Stargate 2024
