Schiphol Reacts to Energy Crisis by Turning Down Heat

Amsterdam Schiphol Airport is lowering the heat to save natural gas in response to the current energy crisis in Europe. The airport has announced plans to lower the heat by one degree across its terminals and head office from March 14.

European Energy Crisis

There are a variety of factors that play into the current energy crisis in Europe, including Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The continent’s dependency on natural gas has been challenged specifically because of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, and it is becoming increasingly necessary to look at natural gas consumption in order to conserve usage.

schiphol lowers heat
Amsterdam Schiphol Airport will be lowering the heating by 1 degree from March 14 onwards. © | Ben Koorengevel / Unsplash

Lowering the Heat

According to a press release from Schiphol, if everyone in the Netherlands lowered their heating by 1 degree, approximately 6% of energy will be saved. “Because of the war in Ukraine, we are willing to become less dependent on natural gas, which is also good for the environment and saves money,” the airport said in the press release. The amount of money saved by conserving natural gas will be donated by Schiphol to Giro 555, a humanitarian aid organisation.

The airport also relies on a heat and cold storage system in its piers and some offices. This system, which stores heat and cold in the ground, allows Schiphol to use even less natural gas to heat and cool its facilities.

Lowering the heat at Schiphol will also help the airport reach its goal of becoming fully circular and energy positive by 2050.

Sustainable Initiatives at Schiphol

In addition to turning down the heat, Schiphol has been hard at work to implement new sustainable initiatives aiming to drive the airport closer to its goal.

The airport has been running entirely on Dutch wind energy since 2018 and has been increasing the use and installation of solar panels, circular seating, sustainable taxiing, and more.

Additionally, the airport has recently trialled the use of electric ground equipment. The hope is that the electric equipment will replace diesel-powered equipment. This is part of Schiphol’s commitment to have an emission-free ground operation at the airport by 2030.

klm schiphol electric
In partnership with KLM, Schiphol is currently evaluating the efficacy of electric ground equipment compared to traditionally powered ground equipment. | © Amsterdam Schiphol Airport

Would you notice the temperature drop at Schiphol? Let us know in the comments below! 

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Sarah Livingston
Sarah Livingston
Assistant Editor (Americas) - Sarah is a digital marketer and writer based in Canada with a passion for aviation and travel. In addition to her background in broadcasting and content creation, she also has experience in the aviation industry working in the Marketing & Communications Department for a popular Canadian LCC and has an interest in aviation photography. She is one of Travel Radar's Americas region Assistant Editors

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