Stuttgart Airport on the Way to CO2 Neutrality With TOP-Energy

Overview: The Airport and Its Goals

Stuttgart Airport is Baden-Württemberg's state airport with 6,970,317 passengers in 2022. It is operated by Flughafen Stuttgart GmbH (FSG). The shareholders of FSG are the state of Baden-Württemberg (65 %) and the city of Stuttgart (35 %).

The state of Baden-Württemberg has set a CO2 reduction target for Stuttgart Airport to become net greenhouse gas neutral by 2040. In order to achieve this target, Stuttgart Airport is taking a number of measures that affect the terminals and other buildings (e.g., heating and air conditioning systems) as well as the operations on the apron and the rest of the premises (such as bus transfers and the power supply). Stuttgart Airport was looking for a solution that would enable it to monitor the progress and impact of these measures. To this end, the company evaluated various software solutions. FSG came into contact with TOP-Energy via a TOP-Energy partner based in Karlsruhe.

First Steps With TOP-Energy: From Feasibility Test to Partnership

At TOP-Energy, Dr. Stefan Kirschbaum is the head of the "Modeling and Optimization of Energy Systems" (former "Graphic Engineering Systems") division. Kirschbaum was involved in the talks with Stuttgart Airport from the very beginning. Kirschbaum: "We suggested carrying out a small project first. We created a model that represented a digital twin of the existing airport infrastructure. This allowed us to show that we were able to adequately map the airport structures. As a result, we gained the trust of our clients, and they chose us as their preferred partner based on this initial feasibility study."

Implementation and Further Development of the Model

The implementation of the system, which was successfully implemented immediately after the feasibility study, went smoothly.

Kirschbaum: "Our biggest challenge was charging the electric vehicles. We first had to develop this component. Fortunately, we managed to do this in a short space of time so that we were able to provide a complete solution in the shortest possible time."

Simulation and Evaluation: the Role of the Digital Twin

Stuttgart Airport can now use the TOP-Energy solution independently.

Kirschbaum: "In the simulation model, Stuttgart Airport looks at 5-year slices that show how CO2 emissions are constantly decreasing. Our solution also makes it possible to continuously monitor the results. It provides the insights needed to optimize the energy consumption of the buildings, the grounds, and the equipment in operation. They consider all possible optimization questions, such as:

  • When is a good time to charge the electric vehicles?
  • Would hydrogen be an option?
  • Can we improve energy storage?
  • And can we equip all buildings with photovoltaics?
  • What other options are there on other free areas at the airport?

The TOP-Energy solution is used to keep an eye on progress: Are we still on the right path?"

Conclusion: TOP-Energy as the Key to Achieving Targets

This is the most important benefit: to show that Stuttgart Airport is on the right track to achieving its CO2 neutrality targets. TOP-Energy is also able to optimize the CO2 footprint of buildings and facilities used. This has a positive cost effect. And last but not least, Stuttgart Airport has made its strategy of operating the airport on a net greenhouse gas neutral basis by 2040 a key element of its communication (see also https://www.flughafen-stuttgart.de/the-fairport/klimaschutz-ressourcen/klimastrategie/).

Technical Background to Modeling with TOP-Energy

The TOP-Energy simulation and optimization software was developed for modeling sector-coupled energy systems. Among other things, it allows

  • the creation of digital twins of complex infrastructures such as airports,
  • high-resolution simulation based on time series (e.g., from control technology),
  • the use of individual support years to calculate a long-term decarbonization scenario with several investment dates, and
  • the consideration of energy and CO2 price developments in the scenarios.

Frequently Asked Questions

A digital twin is a virtual image of a real energy system. The digital twin of an energy system allows the efficient evaluation of many different expansion scenarios with the aim of facilitating an investment decision.

The software enables the evaluation of various technical scenarios according to ecological and economic criteria (e.g., CO2 savings, amortization, self-consumption rates). Scenarios can be created or adapted within a few minutes. In this way, ideas can be evaluated very quickly. This is particularly important in an early planning phase or in very long-term planning phases.