Stuttgart Airport is the state airport of the German region of Baden-Württemberg with 6.970.317 passengers in 2022. Itis operated by Flughafen Stuttgart GmbH (FSG). FSG is a company of which 65 % is owned by the state of Baden-Württemberg and 35 % by the city of Stuttgart.
The state of Baden-Württemberg has set a carbon reduction target, whereby Stuttgart Airport has to be net greenhouse gas neutral by 2040. In order to achieve this goal, Stuttgart Airport has implemented and will continue to implement a range of measures, both for the field operations (such as bus transfers) and the terminals (buildings, heating, air conditioning, electricity supply). Stuttgart Airport was looking for a solution that would allow them to monitor the progress and impact of these measures. The organization evaluated various software vendors and solution providers. Via a Karlsruhe based TOP-Energy partner, the organization was brought in contact with TOP-Energy.
Within TOP-Energy, Dr.-Ing. Stefan Kirschbaum is Head of Department Graph Based Engineering Systems. Kirschbaum has been involved in the conversations with Stuttgart Airport from day one. Kirschbaum: „We proposed to run a small scale project first. We created a model, which was basically a digital twin of the existing airport infrastructure. Based on this proof of concept we gained the confidence and trust of our peers at Stuttgart Airport and they selected us as their preferred partner.”
The implementation of the system, which was carried out immediately after the Proof of Concept had been completed successfully, went smoothly. Kirschbaum: “Our biggest challenge was the charging of the electric vehicles. This was a component we still had to develop. But fortunately, we were able to set this up within a short period of time. As a result, we could deliver a complete solution within a short period of time.”
Now, Stuttgart Airport is able to use TOP-Energy’s solution autonomously. Kirschbaum: „In the simulation model, Stuttgart Airport looks at 5-year slices, which show how CO2 emissions fade out. Our solution also allows to continuously monitor the results and provide with insights that enable them to optimize the energy consumption in and around buildings and of the equipment that is in use. They consider all sorts of optimization options, such as: when is a good time to charge the electric vehicles? Would hydrogen be an option? Can we improve the energy storage? And could we equip all buildings with photovoltaics, not only on the roofs, but also in other free areas at the airport? TOP-Energy’s solution is used to keep an eye on the progress: are we still on track?“
This is the main benefit: showing that Stuttgart Airport is on track to meet its carbon neutrality objectives. Besides, TOP-Energy is able to optimize the footprint of the buildings and equipment that is in use, which will have a positive cost impact. Finally yet importantly, Stuttgart Airport has made its strategy to reduce CO2 emissions to zero by 2040 a key component in its external communications (also see https://www.flughafen-stuttgart.de/the-fairport/klimaschutz-ressourcen/klimastrategie/).