Zurich Airport, often compared to a city in its own right in terms of its complexity, is taking a significant step toward optimizing its energy supply. A new energy center the size of a triple gymnasium is currently being built between Parking Garage 6, the Radisson Blu Hotel, and Operations Center 1.
This monumental construction project is a central element of a comprehensive energy concept aimed at meeting the high heating and cooling requirements of the airport properties more efficiently in the future. The underground construction ensures continued use of the above-ground space, while state-of-the-art heat pumps and chillers with a total output of 12 to 15 megawatts will be installed inside. This capacity is expected to cover around two-thirds of the total heating and cooling requirements of the terminals and neighboring buildings at the airport head office in the medium term. Construction work will take at least two years, with commissioning planned for autumn 2027.
A gigantic underground project: dimensions and technology
The energy requirements of an airport like Zurich are immense. Countless buildings, terminals, offices, and technical facilities must be heated and cooled year-round to ensure smooth operations and comfort for millions of passengers and thousands of employees. This constant demand requires a powerful and reliable energy infrastructure. Zurich Airport's new energy center represents a fundamental transformation in this area.
The decision to build the energy center underground is strategic. It allows the scarce and valuable space above ground to continue to be used for other purposes, be it for the development of additional infrastructure or for green spaces. This integration into the existing airport structure requires precise planning and execution, especially in such a sensitive environment as an active airport. Construction, which will take at least two years and is scheduled to begin operations in fall 2027, is a complex engineering project.
At the heart of the new headquarters, powerful Heat pumps and chillers installed. With an impressive total capacity of 12 to 15 megawatts, these systems are designed to cover a large portion of the thermal energy demand. By comparison, industrial heat pumps and chillers can range in power from several hundred kilowatts to several megawatts, with the capacity planned here being among the larger systems used in large-scale infrastructure projects. This technology harnesses ambient heat or cold to efficiently control the temperature of buildings, representing a significant advance over conventional heating and cooling systems, which often rely on fossil fuels.
Lydia Naef, Chief Real Estate Officer of Flughafen Zürich AG, emphasized the scope of the project: "With the new energy center, we are laying the foundation for supplying our buildings at the airport terminal with efficient and emission-free heating and cooling in the future."
Pioneering project in the depths: The glacial trough as an energy storage facility
The new energy center is just one component of a much more comprehensive and innovative energy concept at Zurich Airport. A key element of this concept is the seasonal storage of heat and cold underground. For this purpose, Flughafen Zürich AG has been exploring the use of a glacial trough, which is located about 300 meters below the airport grounds.
This geological feature, a glacial furrow filled with water-bearing gravel, is considered a huge natural Heat and cold storage investigated. A first test well was completed in 2024, and a second is currently being built to further explore the potential of this channel. The results so far are promising: They show that the channel could be ideally suited to storing thermal energy on a large scale and reusing it when needed. This is achieved by introducing heat in the summer and cold in the winter, which can then be stored seasonally and extracted at a later time.
The Gutter project is unique in its dimensions and technical approach, and is therefore receiving funding from the Swiss Federal Office of Energy. Guido Hüni, Head of Energy and Decarbonization at Flughafen Zürich AG, emphasized its technical sophistication: "Technically, our plan to decarbonize the infrastructure relies on innovative systems. The combination of heat pumps, seasonal energy storage in a glacial gully or via geothermal probe fields, and a low-temperature network allows us to significantly reduce the climate impact of heating and cooling." This combination of various technologies, including the already proven use of energy piles and geothermal probes in new buildings, demonstrates an integrated approach to energy supply.
The use of Geothermal energy and seasonal storage of thermal energy is a pioneering approach for large-scale infrastructure projects. Airports such as Paris-Le Bourget Airport have long been using near-surface geothermal energy to meet a significant portion of their energy needs for heating and cooling. However, the approach in Zurich, using the deep glacial trough, is an even more ambitious project that could set new standards for the use of natural storage.
Zurich Airport's strategy: Extensive energy independence
The new energy center and the exploration of the glacial trough are components of a comprehensive strategy of Flughafen Zürich AG, which aims to achieve a high degree of energy independence and the optimization of operations. By 2040, Flughafen Zürich AG aims to achieve the goal of Net zero corporate greenhouse gas emissions This ambitious goal is to be achieved through a series of measures, including the new energy center, the gradual transition to renewable energies, the reduction of energy consumption in buildings, and the expansion of electricity production through photovoltaic systems.
The importance of airports as energy-intensive facilities is well known. In 2019, air traffic in Austria generated approximately three million tons of CO₂ and consumed over 41 petajoules of energy, accounting for ten percent of the transport sector's total energy demand. Vienna Schwechat Airport consumes approximately 100.000 megawatt hours of electricity annually. Against this backdrop, the importance of every single contribution to reducing energy consumption and the associated emissions becomes clear.
If the glacial channel can be developed as planned, it will, together with the new energy center and a low-temperature network, produce around 6.500 tons of CO₂ This represents a significant contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. By 2030, emissions at the airport terminal are expected to fall by around 35 percent to approximately 15.900 tons per year. This is a significant reduction, especially considering the airport's continued expansion and increasing operational demands. The continuous modernization and renovation of existing buildings and facilities plays an important role in this.
Flughafen Zürich AG is pursuing a dual strategy that encompasses both the decarbonization of its own buildings, facilities, and vehicles, as well as supporting the aviation industry in its transition to more sustainable aviation fuels. However, the greatest leverage for reducing the company's own emissions lies in the area of its buildings and technical facilities, which is why projects like the new energy center are of central importance.
A model for future infrastructure projects
Zurich Airport's investment in the new energy center and the research into the glacial trough as a seasonal energy storage facility is a groundbreaking project. It demonstrates how large infrastructure operators can use innovative technical solutions to make their energy consumption more efficient and minimize their impact on the climate. Zurich Airport is thus positioning itself as a pioneer in the industry and providing a concrete example of how ambitious emission reduction targets can be achieved through smart planning and the use of state-of-the-art technology. The results of this pioneering project will undoubtedly be of great interest to other airports and major real estate developments around the world facing similar challenges.