Thermal storage gives Arlanda eco-friendly energy supply

Enriching project #6 998 of 31 000. Sweco has created a solution for eco-friendly energy supply at Arlanda Airport. The new aquifer layer at the airport is the world’s largest thermal energy storage installation for heating and cooling.

Arlanda Airport is a major consumer of energy, since its facilities need to be heated in the winter and cooled down the summer to maintain a comfortable indoor temperature. Thermal energy storage is an efficient way to store heat in the summer for later use in the winter, and conversely to store cold in the winter for use in the following summer.

At the request of the Swedish Civil Aviation Authority, Sweco has developed the world’s largest energy storage facility, a so-called Aquifer Thermal Energy Storage (ATES) installation, in an underground water layer in part of the Brunkebergsåsen esker. Sweco has been responsible for all project development from initial concept to feasibility studies, engineering design and realisation of the ATES and all connecting systems.

In this way Sweco has created a more eco-friendly energy supply and at the same time saved money for the Swedish Civil Aviation Authority. The aquifer layer will reduce the need for purchased district heating and electricity and the lower energy usage will reduce CO2 emissions by an estimated 7,000 tonnes per year.

Sweco has unique cutting-edge expertise in all technical disciplines involved in the project. We have used a holistic approach to develop the proposed system solution, which gives us a high level of competitiveness in energy storage and use of low-grade energy.

The new ATES is part of an ongoing assignment to improve energy efficiency throughout Arlanda Airport.