Photo: Adelaide Airport on Facebook.

Adelaide Airport First in Australia to Achieve Carbon Neutrality

Our Bureau - : Dec 20, 2024 - : 9:35 pm

Adelaide Airport has become the first major airport in Australia to achieve carbon neutrality. The airport has reduced its carbon emissions by almost 90% since 2018 through measures such as enhancing energy efficiency, increasing the use of onsite renewable energy,...

To read the full article, please log in or enter your email below:

Adelaide Airport has become the first major airport in Australia to achieve carbon neutrality.

The airport has reduced its carbon emissions by almost 90% since 2018 through measures such as enhancing energy efficiency, increasing the use of onsite renewable energy, and purchasing 100% renewable energy from a local wind farm.

The airport reached carbon neutrality by purchasing certified Australian Carbon Credit Units from a land regeneration project in the Gawler Ranges, South Australia, managed by Canopy, a division of Greening Australia. These credits will offset the remaining Scope 1 emissions, which are linked to the use of gas in the terminal and fuel in operational vehicles, for the 2024/25 period. This interim measure will support the airport’s longer-term plan to convert its gas-powered terminal systems to electric and replace its remaining fleet with hybrid or electric vehicles.

Adelaide Airport has eliminated its Scope 2 emissions, associated with electricity use, as of 1 January 2024, due to its renewable energy agreement.

Brenton Cox, Managing Director, remarked that while Adelaide Airport has made significant strides, there remains much to be done on its sustainability journey. "Our strategy has focused on reducing carbon intensity through upgrades to more efficient alternatives, increasing onsite renewable energy generation, and supporting renewable energy projects in South Australia through the airport’s electricity contract," he said.

"Adelaide Airport is targeting a 100% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2030 and aims for net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. We are pleased to have achieved our Scope 1 and 2 target ahead of our 2030 timeline, but there is still much to do to reach our net-zero ambitions, which include emissions from flights to and from Adelaide," Mr Cox added.

He further noted that the development and use of sustainable aviation fuel is crucial for achieving net-zero emissions. "In November, we partnered with the South Australian Government, Zero Petroleum, and Qantas to explore the development of a low-carbon sustainable aviation fuel production facility, ‘Plant Zero.SA’, in Whyalla," he said.

Recent initiatives at Adelaide Airport include upgrading to LED lighting across the terminal and runway precincts, as well as optimising plant and equipment to reduce energy consumption and emissions.

Additionally, the airport is nearing the completion of the installation of more than 3,700 solar panels on the roofs of the domestic and international terminals, nearly tripling the capacity of its existing solar system. All of the airport’s electricity now comes from renewable sources, generated by a combination of onsite solar power and Iberdrola’s Lake Bonney wind farms in South Australia.

Australia / Adelaide-airport / Carbon-emissions /

MORE NEWS