Venice, San Francisco and Frankfurt Airports reveal how solar, Hydrogen and electrification are reshaping airport energy systems

Aviation’s energy transition is no longer an abstract ambition, it is unfolding in real time across global airports. During International Airport Review’s recent webinar Accelerating the Energy Revolution in Airports, three leading airport operators: Venice Airport (Gruppo SAVE), San Francisco International Airport (SFO), and Fraport, revealed how they are reshaping their energy systems, decarbonising operations, and preparing for long‑term shifts such as hydrogen, SAF and full electrification.

During the session, the speakers shared practical insights into how airports are approaching the energy transition in very different regulatory, geographic and operational environments.

Despite those differences, a clear message emerged: there is no single pathway to decarbonisation. Instead, airports are combining multiple technologies and strategies to build resilient, future-ready energy systems.

A multi-technology approach to airport energy transition

One of the strongest themes to emerge from the webinar discussion was that energy transition strategies must integrate multiple solutions simultaneously.

Davide Bassano, Director of Sustainability at Grupo SAVE, explained how Venice Marco Polo Airport has adopted a layered approach that combines solar generation, geothermal energy and future hydrogen production.

Currently, around 75% of the airport’s energy demand is met by an on-site trigeneration plant. While efficient, the system still produces carbon emissions, prompting the airport to pursue alternative energy sources.

A key component of its future strategy is large-scale agrivoltaic solar installations. Unlike traditional solar farms, agrivoltaic systems place photovoltaic panels 2.5-4m above the ground, allowing agricultural activity to continue beneath them.

This approach is particularly important given the airport’s sensitive location within the Venetian lagoon ecosystem. Due to Italian environmental restrictions, the airport is only allowed to cover 35% of the land with agrivoltaics.

“We evaluated every technically possible solution,” Bassano explained during the webinar. “There is not a single golden option. You must combine all the technologies available to fulfil the airport’s energy needs.”

Once completed, the solar installations will cover roughly 70 acres and are expected to generate around 80GWh of energy annually, covering more than half of the airport’s energy demand and contributing to an estimated reduction of 200,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions. A remarkable achievement given the environmental restrictions of the lagoon

Discover in-depth article on Venice Airport’s road to net zero here.

Decarbonising airport operations

While renewable generation is vital, airports are also tackling emissions through operational electrification.

Erin Cook, Sustainability & Resilience Director at SFO, shared a different challenge: building an energy‑resilient, all‑electric airport in a climate‑vulnerable location.

At San Francisco International Airport, sustainability strategy is driven by an ambitious “Triple Zero” vision: zero energy, zero carbon and zero waste.

The linchpin of SFO’s energy strategy is the decommissioning of the airport’s natural‑gas‑fired central utility plant and its replacement with a fully electric system using thermal energy storage. This transition alone will reduce SFO’s Scope 1 emissions dramatically.

At the same time, the airport is aggressively electrifying ground operations.

More than 50% of airline ground support equipment (GSE) at the airport is already electrified, supported by nearly 500 charging ports across the airfield.

To accelerate adoption, the airport worked closely with airlines through collaborative governance structures established during lease negotiations. These discussions helped align fleet transition strategies with infrastructure investment.

“We brought the airlines together to share their electrification timelines,” Erin said during the webinar. “That allowed us to plan charging infrastructure in the right locations and avoid gaps in coverage.”

Read more about San Francisco’s strategy here.

Scaling renewable energy supply

Large airports face enormous electricity demands which is only set to increase in the future as airports roll out electric ground support equipment and aircraft manufacturers start bringing electric aircraft online, meaning renewable energy procurement must often extend beyond on-site generation.

At Frankfurt Airport, operated by Fraport, a major element of the decarbonisation strategy involves a long-term renewable energy supply agreement.

Through a 15-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with German energy provider EnBW, the airport will receive electricity generated by offshore wind turbines in the North Sea. The agreement allocates 6.5 dedicated wind turbines to supply the airport’s energy demand.

This arrangement provides both environmental and financial benefits.

It ensures that the airport’s electricity supply comes from renewable sources while also offering long-term price stability in a volatile energy market.

However, Fraport is also investing heavily in on-site generation.

One of its most innovative projects is a vertical photovoltaic installation along one of the airport’s runways. Unlike traditional solar arrays, the panels are installed vertically, reducing land use and protecting local biodiversity.

According to Michelle Sandbrink, Project Manager for Corporate Strategy and Sustainability at Fraport, this design minimises environmental impact while still generating significant electricity.

Benefits of vertical PV include:

• No loss of habitat or soil shading
• Minimal microclimate disruption (confirmed through field testing)
• Natural wind‑driven cleaning
• Easier access for maintenance
• Comparable power output to traditional horizontal systems

The installation covers 30.6 hectares, includes 34 rows of panels, and produces up to 17.4MW of peak power.

Importantly, tests confirmed that the installation does not create glare or operational risks for aircraft.

Fraport is also testing vehicle‑to‑grid (V2G) systems, turning airport electric fleets into mobile energy storage that could help balance fluctuations in renewable generation, particularly relevant as electric fleet adoption surges.

Read more in-depth information on Fraport’s energy transition here.

While Venice Airport is investing in agrivoltaics solar panels and Fraport is investing in vertical PV, San Francisco, in turn, has approximately 90 viable solar sites and has embedded solar requirements into its design standards with at least 15% of every rooftop given to PV and aims to scale from 5 MW to 45 MW of onsite PV. Recognising its own staffing constraints, the airport plans to use a design–build–own–operate model with a specialist partner to maximise system performance and asset management.

Erin described SFO’s approach as a blueprint for airports seeking to move from “reactive facilities management to strategic real‑estate stewardship”, a shift she sees as essential to long‑term resilience and energy efficiency.

Caption: This article captures only a fraction of the insights shared by Erin Cook (San Francisco International Airport), Michelle Sanding (Fraport) and Davide Bassano (Gruppo SAVE). To explore the full presentations, data, audience Q&A and strategic discussions, watch the complete webinar on‑demand.

Credit: IAR.

Preparing for hydrogen and SAF

Another major challenge highlighted during the webinar was how airports should prepare for emerging aviation fuels such as hydrogen and SAF.

While these technologies are expected to play a critical role in aviation decarbonisation, uncertainty remains around their timelines and infrastructure requirements.

Airports therefore face the complex task of designing infrastructure that remains flexible as technologies evolve.

At Venice, the airport plans to use surplus solar energy to produce green hydrogen via electrolysis. Initially, this hydrogen will be used for internal transport, including airport buses.

However, Davide noted that producing hydrogen at a scale sufficient for aviation remains a long-term challenge.

Meanwhile, San Francisco International Airport has already taken steps to enable SAF use by airlines through pipeline delivery infrastructure, allowing sustainable fuels to enter the airport’s hydrant system without requiring additional on-site blending facilities.

Erin explained that designing flexible infrastructure is essential to avoid creating stranded assets as technologies evolve.

The importance of collaboration and data

Throughout the webinar discussion, speakers repeatedly emphasised the importance of collaboration and data transparency.

Airports must co-ordinate closely with airlines, regulators, local communities and energy providers to successfully deliver decarbonisation strategies.

At SFO, for example, a comprehensive energy management control system is being deployed to monitor energy use across the airport campus. By integrating data from utilities, vehicles and infrastructure, the system provides real-time insights that support more efficient operations.

This shift towards data-driven energy management is becoming increasingly important as airports manage growing electrification demands.

No single solution

Perhaps the most important takeaway from the discussion is that airport energy transition strategies must remain adaptable.

Geography, regulatory frameworks, environmental constraints and operational requirements all shape which solutions are viable at a particular airport.

For some airports, wind energy procurement may offer the most scalable solution. For others, solar generation or electrification of ground operations may provide the greatest impact.

But the general trend is clear: airports are rapidly transforming from passive energy consumers into active energy managers and producers.

For airports who have aligned themselves with the goal of net zero by 2050, these energy strategies will play an increasingly critical role.

Watch the full discussion