Skellefteå Airport is an important transport node in the far north
For most people who live outside Sweden, the name Skellefteå can simply seem foreign and difficult to pronounce. But most people are also unaware that this municipality in the northern part of the Scandinavian country probably is the world’s first fossil – free airport. Thanks to a comprehensive vision that integrates energy consumption from alternative sources, this facility is gaining a foothold in times when airports around the world are facing the pressure to turn to sustainability.
It is one of Sweden’s ten largest airports
The airport’s website has reported a record increase in the number of passengers in the years before the COVID pandemic. In addition to domestic flight services, it serves as a base for charter flights to Mediterranean destinations in the summer – which gives northerners the opportunity to experience more sun-heavy destinations.
Although it is closer to the Arctic Circle than most other places in Europe, airport authorities are forward-looking in their efforts to combat climate change.
In recent years, Skellefteå Airport has devoted itself to developing new and innovative ways to accelerate the green transition. This means that the airport must start working in three main areas:
- Fossil-free heating with biofuel,
- Fossil-free electricity consumption through certified green electricity,
- Fossil-free fuels for vehicles through electricity and the biofuel HVO-100.
By applying a comprehensive strategy, the airport was able to achieve the goal of zero emissions of fossil carbon dioxide. In 2020, the airport reported zero emissions of fossilized carbon dioxide for the first time ever, which was confirmed by measurement according to the Airport Carbon and Emissions Reporting Tool (ACERT).
Test ground for eVTOL
Skellefteå Airport also wants to be at the forefront when it comes to developing tomorrow’s technology. In this respect, it was approved as a test site for a new eVTOL project (electrified vertical take-off aircraft).
The project will investigate and plan infrastructure, airspace issues, permits, market issues and scientific research perspectives of the electrified aviation environment. This creates conditions for one of the very first test routes in the Nordic region, which will help to shorten the time and pave the way for commercial traffic with eVTOL in Sweden and the Nordic countries.