Five surprising facts about Schiphol
Do you know how many electric vehicles there are at Schiphol? How green the energy is that you use to charge up your mobile phone at the gate? Or what Schiphol is doing to reduce CO2 emissions from aircraft? Here are five surprising sustainability facts.
1. 100% Dutch wind power
Did you know that Schiphol has been running on 100% Dutch wind energy since 2018? Wherever you plug in your charger, you’ll be using green energy. You can also charge up your electric car with Dutch wind power.
2. Cooling and heating using thermal energy
More and more houses have thermal energy storage (TES) these days, but Schiphol already had a TES system in the 90s. And it has expanded substantially since then. Did you know that the terminal and piers predominantly run on TES systems? Other buildings have this system too, including the Hilton Hotel. This means we can save on a lot of gas, which leads to fewer CO2 emissions.
3. 750 electric vehicles
We admit, it’s a bit of a disappointment when you still need to take a bus to get to the terminal after you land. The good thing is that all these buses are electric – a nice and sustainable end to your journey. It’s also becoming more and more likely that your baggage is taken to the plane electrically, as are the snacks you eat on board. If we add up all the buses, taxis and other vehicles (like hotel shuttles), there are now around 750 electric vehicles at Schiphol.
4. More recycling
In 2030, Schiphol doesn’t want to produce any more waste. That means we need to recycle as much as possible – something we’re getting more and more creative in. When you fly with easyJet, you get to the plane through the M corridor. This corridor has recently been given an update using recycled materials. The chairs were upholstered with e-leather and the planters are made from old information desks and a KLM Boeing. And did you know that we have our grass cuttings pressed in order to make construction materials that can be used at the airport? The grass can’t get much greener than that!
5. Clean planes pay less
Airlines pay to land their planes at Schiphol. Here, the fewer CO2 emissions the aircraft produces, the less you have to pay. This means that airlines may pay up to five times less, which helps to encourage a more sustainable aviation sector. We are also encouraging the use of sustainable fuels. For example, over the next three years, airlines will receive a contribution from us when they use these fuels. And this year will see the arrival of the Schiphol Experience Center, where you can find out what you can do as a traveller to make aviation more sustainable.
Read the previous blogs
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More electric equipment
Published on:Most diesel generators have now been replaced by electric ones. Schiphol provides almost all planes parked at the gate with electrical power.
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Start construction circular checkpoint
Published on:For the new checkpoint we are using material left over after the demolition of three office buildings and three cargo buildings at Schiphol.
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Highest ACI accreditation for sustainability
Published on:Industry association Airports Council International (ACI) has awarded three of our airports the highest possible level for sustainability.
