There are 14 thermal energy storage systems (TES) at Schiphol Centrum and a few others at Schiphol Oost and Schiphol Noordwest. TES is a sustainable system that stores thermal energy underground. Most of the terminal, the majority of the piers and several offices run on thermal energy storage systems. Schiphol uses a lot less gas power to heat and cool these buildings as a result. This leads to significant gains in reducing our CO₂ emissions.
The new Pier A and piers B, D, E, F and G all have a TES system, as does the GH building. Terminal 3 started using a large TES system in 2019 that saves 1.5 million m3 of natural gas per year (enough energy for 1000 households). Furthermore, the Hilton Hotel and various office buildings, including SHG, Avioport, WTC 1, WTC2 and the Base A-B-C-D, are fitted with modern TES installations with heat pumps and dry coolers. The most recent thermal energy storage (TES) project at Schiphol, in 2021, was equipping WTC1 with heat pumps. It achieved gas savings of more than 90% (approx. 290,000 m3 – 190 households) in 2022.
Since the beginning of 2024, work has been underway to make Terminal 1 and 2, and Skyport more sustainable. Just like Pier A, Terminal 3 and the Base D, the buildings will be free of natural gas and equipped with 4 heat pumps and 4 dry coolers. This can save approximately 4 million m3 of natural gas (approximately 2600 households) annually. This project is expected to be completed around 2028.
A collective TES has been designed for the Schiphol Building (SHG), Outlook 1 and 2, and Avioport. Implementation will start in 2024. This will involve connecting 2 heat pumps and 2 dry coolers to the three buildings via underground pipes. Each building will have its own heat pump station. This will save a total of approximately 625,000 m3 of natural gas (415 households) annually.
Work on making Pier E more sustainable will also start in 2024. Not all heat and cold currently comes from more sustainable sources. That will change after this sustainability project has been carried out, with annual natural gas savings of up to 300,000 m3 (200 households).
Thanks to, among other things, TES at Schiphol Centrum, the amount of natural gas consumed by our buildings is between 2010 en 2024 reduced with 50 million m3. That is equal to the amount of gas consumed by 33.000 households. More studies and projects will be carried out in the coming years. Cargo warehouses and commercial buildings at Schiphol East and South East will also be made more sustainable.
Our goal is for all of our airports’ own buildings to be off the gas grid by 2030. That’s why thermal energy storage systems will be installed in all newly-constructed buildings. The installation of thermal energy and phasing out of gas in existing premises will be at Schiphol Centrum complete by 2030. We will only use gas when necessary at peak times. This gas will be green if available.
