Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton) Airport (WSI) has published its very-first Sustainability Strategy, which aims to demonstrate how Australia’s first greenfield airport in over 50 years has sought to embed sustainability into its design in order to significantly reduce its carbon footprint.
The new 24-hour gateway has officially secured a set of two key partnerships that are expected to prove crucial to the realisation of this overall vision, with CleanPeak Energy set to support the delivery of 100% renewable electricity for the airport precinct, while Freightquip will supply and operate an almost entirely electrified GSE (Ground Support Equipment) fleet covering the full scope of airport operations.
A comprehensive energy system partnership with CleanPeak Energy will seek to incorporate a wide range of responsibilities, including:
- Management and operation of WSI’s existing rooftop solar (that has capacity to produce 4.5MW (megawatts) of electricity, capable of powering c.40% of the terminal)
- Installation and management of an additional 9MW rooftop solar energy system that will gradually be built at WSI’s Cargo Precinct
- Installation and management of a 120MWh (megawatt hours) Battery Energy Storage System – planned for delivery in late 2027 – to provide stability, resilience, and support peak energy demand
- Management of the renewable electricity WSI purchases from the grid
- Management of the embedded network enabling the efficient distribution and optimisation of energy across WSI for airport operations and various precinct tenants
CleanPeak Energy CEO Philip Graham said:This project is about unlocking what’s possible when large-scale energy infrastructure is designed, financed and operated as an integrated energy system to power critical assets like airports without compromising performance.
CleanPeak is enabling the airport to run on 100% renewable electricity by investing at the site to optimise local energy infrastructure as well as developing additional solar farms to deliver the scale of electricity required to ensure the airport runs 24/7 with renewable electricity.
Elsewhere, once passenger services commence; WSI will become the first major Australian airport to operate an airport-wide GSE pooling programme with the help of Freightquip, which will aim to incorporate the highest proportion of electric GSE of any major Australian airport.
The partnership with Freightquip will aim to see delivery of:
- The full scope of GSE equipment for aircraft turnaround operations, including but not limited to belt loaders, cargo loaders, baggage tractors, and pushback equipment with a shared fleet model for all ground handlers, improving coordination, utilisation and sustainability outcomes
- An integrated single digital platform that provides real-time visibility, automated allocation and connection with WSI’s Flight Information System, and
- Dedicated on-site maintenance through Freightquip’s specialist team
Freightquip COO and Head of Aviation Operations Andrew Steel said:WSI presents a real opportunity to help set a new standard for how airports approach ground operations. To provide an advanced GSE pooling operation at a brand-new airport is something our team is incredibly proud to be part of.
We see WSI as the beginning of a much bigger shift in how the industry approaches ground operations globally.
