Periodic Reporting for period 1 - STARGATE (SusTainable AiRports, the Green heArT of Europe)
Reporting period: 2021-11-01 to 2023-04-30
STARGATE is the response of a consortium of 22 entities led by Brussels Airport committing to create green airports as multimodal hubs for sustainable and smart mobility. STARGATE follows an ambitious strategy to impactfully contribute to the strengthening of the competitiveness of the European air transport ecosystem. The mission of the STARGATE consortium is to develop, test and deploy a set of innovative solutions making the airport ecosystem significantly more sustainable. Our vision is to build with STARGATE a benchmark and be source of inspiration to other airports in Europe and the world.
STARGATE is grounded on five main pillars. The first one is the application of a Digital Twin ecosystem for airports and extensive development to model the Lighthouse Airport, its transport flows, airport process, energy production and supply and emissions management. The second, important pillar is the focus on multimodal, sustainable and smart mobility through an innovative mobility governance practice to create an intermodal hub, and dedicated tools to enhance digitalisation and decarbonisation of transport for both people and goods. Aim is to create an intermodal product that is up to standard. Third, the optimisation of terminal operations, including the deployment of a Terminal Command Centre, a novel approach to circular resource management and the minimisation of resources and waste generated. The fourth pillar tackles the investigation in the energy field and production and use of SAF. Finally, the fifth pillar covers cross-cutting aspects such as minimisation of noise and emissions, assessing non-technological framework conditions and promoting new multi-actor governance arrangements. The STARGATE project will serve as a valuable tool for the EU to reach the Green Deal Plan bold targets of 55% carbon emission reduction by 2030 and a carbon net-zero region by 2050.
STARGATE sets out the following 7 overarching objectives:
1) Provide the airport sector with a set of real-life tested innovative initiatives aimed at significant and feasible decarbonization of the airport activity.
2) Create a Digital Twin offering for airports to enable the transition towards a Net-Zero-Carbon airport.
3) Demonstrate and validate innovative initiatives at the Lighthouse airport
4) Replicate the results in the Fellow Airports
5) Build new business models to enable feasible replication and scalability
6) Set up new methods of sustainable integration of the airport within its surrounding communi-ties, minimising the environmental negative impact
7)Communicate, disseminate results, building knowledge and cooperation
STARGATE is grounded on five main pillars. The first one is the application of a Digital Twin ecosystem for airports and extensive development to model the Lighthouse Airport, its transport flows, airport process, energy production and supply and emissions management. The second, important pillar is the focus on multimodal, sustainable and smart mobility through an innovative mobility governance practice to create an intermodal hub, and dedicated tools to enhance digitalisation and decarbonisation of transport for both people and goods. Aim is to create an intermodal product that is up to standard. Third, the optimisation of terminal operations, including the deployment of a Terminal Command Centre, a novel approach to circular resource management and the minimisation of resources and waste generated. The fourth pillar tackles the investigation in the energy field and production and use of SAF. Finally, the fifth pillar covers cross-cutting aspects such as minimisation of noise and emissions, assessing non-technological framework conditions and promoting new multi-actor governance arrangements. The STARGATE project will serve as a valuable tool for the EU to reach the Green Deal Plan bold targets of 55% carbon emission reduction by 2030 and a carbon net-zero region by 2050.
STARGATE sets out the following 7 overarching objectives:
1) Provide the airport sector with a set of real-life tested innovative initiatives aimed at significant and feasible decarbonization of the airport activity.
2) Create a Digital Twin offering for airports to enable the transition towards a Net-Zero-Carbon airport.
3) Demonstrate and validate innovative initiatives at the Lighthouse airport
4) Replicate the results in the Fellow Airports
5) Build new business models to enable feasible replication and scalability
6) Set up new methods of sustainable integration of the airport within its surrounding communi-ties, minimising the environmental negative impact
7)Communicate, disseminate results, building knowledge and cooperation
As the reporting period corresponds to the first 18 months of the project (out of a total of 60), most of the work developed so far corresponds to preparatory activities, rather than outputs of a more technical scope.
The areas where more specific technical results have been produced during the reporting period include:
• Functionalities digital twin: report describing overall approach, basic methodology, data requirements and potential impact for airports.
• Electric high loaders: testing carried out by project partner DHL.
• Cargo digital slot booking: development of an application allowing slot bookings for the Digital Green Lane.
• SAF catalogue: document publication describing potential airport actions on SAF.
• Electric fuel dispenser truck: retrofitted fuel dispensers already available; work on the construction of an electric prototype under way.
• Used cooking oil collection: survey aiming at increased domestic used oil collection rate, and additional collection truck deployed.
• Circularity framework: document published setting the conceptual framework for airport terminals circularity.
• Functionalities mobility dashboard: first version using data of Brussels Airport employees.
• Future green fleet requirements: report published establishing the approach and basic methodology for requirements forecast (energy and charging points).
More details can be found in the technical review report attached (section 1.2)
The areas where more specific technical results have been produced during the reporting period include:
• Functionalities digital twin: report describing overall approach, basic methodology, data requirements and potential impact for airports.
• Electric high loaders: testing carried out by project partner DHL.
• Cargo digital slot booking: development of an application allowing slot bookings for the Digital Green Lane.
• SAF catalogue: document publication describing potential airport actions on SAF.
• Electric fuel dispenser truck: retrofitted fuel dispensers already available; work on the construction of an electric prototype under way.
• Used cooking oil collection: survey aiming at increased domestic used oil collection rate, and additional collection truck deployed.
• Circularity framework: document published setting the conceptual framework for airport terminals circularity.
• Functionalities mobility dashboard: first version using data of Brussels Airport employees.
• Future green fleet requirements: report published establishing the approach and basic methodology for requirements forecast (energy and charging points).
More details can be found in the technical review report attached (section 1.2)
The results demonstrated by developments so far in the first reporting period provide a good base with a view to achieving expected impacts and results. These include:
• Measurements and modelling of UFP has been completed.
• Continuous Descent Operations have been performed in order to reduce noise.
• Digital green lane for cargo reception has been implemented.
• Pilot has run on RFID tagging of shipments completed.
• Digital Twin: development of an innovative concept based on the modelling of an airport energy and environmental impact, which aims to become a tool to manage airport CO2 dimension and achieve net zero objectives. A report describing overall approach, basic methodology, data requirements and potential impact for airports has been completed.
• Various SAF business models have been considered in which risk and price were balanced for the airport operator, and price demand elasticity has also been analysed.
• A catalogue of airport SAF actions has been developed and made publicly available for all airports that aspire to increase the SAF uptake or require additional information.
• Testing of a non-standard electric hydrant fuel dispenser truck has been carried out at BRU, aiming at finalizing a design for a standard fully electric-factory produced-high flow rate fuel dispenser.
• A survey aiming to increase the domestic used cooking oil collection rate has been launched via social media. A recommendation report will be prepared based on the analysis of its results.
• Measurements and modelling of UFP has been completed.
• Continuous Descent Operations have been performed in order to reduce noise.
• Digital green lane for cargo reception has been implemented.
• Pilot has run on RFID tagging of shipments completed.
• Digital Twin: development of an innovative concept based on the modelling of an airport energy and environmental impact, which aims to become a tool to manage airport CO2 dimension and achieve net zero objectives. A report describing overall approach, basic methodology, data requirements and potential impact for airports has been completed.
• Various SAF business models have been considered in which risk and price were balanced for the airport operator, and price demand elasticity has also been analysed.
• A catalogue of airport SAF actions has been developed and made publicly available for all airports that aspire to increase the SAF uptake or require additional information.
• Testing of a non-standard electric hydrant fuel dispenser truck has been carried out at BRU, aiming at finalizing a design for a standard fully electric-factory produced-high flow rate fuel dispenser.
• A survey aiming to increase the domestic used cooking oil collection rate has been launched via social media. A recommendation report will be prepared based on the analysis of its results.