Bangkok International Airport aims to become green prototype

 

Thailand is planning to transform Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport, the Kingdom’s main international gateway, into a prototype green airport in four years by developing renewable energy use in the flagship facility.

Kirati Kitmanawat, Chief Executive Officer off Airports of Thailand (AoT), said that his company is aiming to reduce electricity costs by between 20 and 30 percent by the end of the four-year period. It will accomplish this by installing more renewable energy sources and systems in the Kingdom’s largest airport.

The plan corresponds to national goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and other commitments in line with the Paris Climate Accords. Thailand is already the leader in Southeast Asia in energy generated from solar and wind sources and is looking to increase renewable energy production.

Kirati added that while airports in other parts of the world have successfully integrated renewable energy into their operations, Thailand has already made a start on this.

AOT has already installed solar panels on the roof of Suvarnabhumi’s main terminal and will be adding more photovoltaic power to support a renewable energy system. The airport is in the midst of a several-phase expansion plan that eventually will boost its capacity to over 100 million passengers a year. When it opened in 2006, Suvarnabhumi had a capacity of 45 million passengers a year.

AoT is in talks with various partners to work out how to increase renewable energy at the airport. Partners include District Cooling System and Power Plant Co., a joint venture between the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand, PTT Plc and the Metropolitan Electricity Authority.

After the renewable energy project is firmly underway at Suvarnabhumi Airport, Kirati said that AoT will begin similar conversions at five other airports that it operates.