Copenhagen Airport is to investigate whether filtration technology could help reduce air pollution from aircraft, with a new testing facility being established in the middle of its active airside operations.
The airport is launching CPH Air Lab (CPH being The IATA code for the airport) to assess how existing filtration technologies perform when exposed to aircraft exhaust emissions. The project will initially test five different approaches, with the aim of identifying technologies that could eventually be deployed on a much larger scale.
Maria Skotte, Chief Sustainability Officer at Copenhagen Airport, explained: ‘We have a strong focus on air quality and have worked for many years to reduce emissions of ultrafine particles. With CPH Air Lab, we are taking the next step by investigating whether we can also remove particles close to the source.’
The laboratory is housed in a container fitted with a large ventilation duct, test chamber and advanced sensors capable of detecting and measuring particles.
The five technologies use different methods to capture pollution. These include mechanical filters that trap particles, electrically charged surfaces that attract them and biological materials such as moss that can bind particles.
Alexandra Halberg Hüneburg-Møller, Project Manager in Copenhagen Airport’s innovation team. said: ‘Everything we are testing has originally been developed for other industries. That is why CPH Air Lab is so important. It gives us the opportunity to evaluate these filtration technologies using aircraft exhaust emissions in a fully operational airport environment.’
The technologies that perform best during the initial container-based trials will be selected for further testing next year. This could include larger-scale applications, such as incorporating filtration systems into blast fences, which are designed to protect surrounding areas from the powerful airflow produced by aircraft engines.
Hüneburg-Møller. added: ‘If the technologies also prove effective in open-air conditions, the potential for further development could be significant. One could imagine blast fences functioning as air purification systems, or filtration technologies becoming integrated into building facades.’
CPH Air Lab forms part of the Accelerate Sustainable Aviation Programme (ASAP), a joint initiative between Copenhagen Airport and Amsterdam Airport Schiphol designed to help airports test and develop new technologies.
The programme is intended to support knowledge sharing between airports and provide better evidence for future investment decisions.
The project is the latest in a series of measures by Copenhagen Airport aimed at reducing exposure to air pollution among airport workers and nearby communities.
Last year, the airport began using thermal imaging cameras and artificial intelligence on a large scale to monitor aircraft auxiliary power units (APUs), which can produce emissions while aircraft are parked. In most cases, these units are not needed because the airport provides electricity and pre-conditioned air at aircraft stands.
Pilots are also encouraged to use a single engine while taxiing where operationally feasible, while airport development is being planned to minimise taxiing distances and reduce fuel consumption.
Skotte said: ‘CPH Air Lab is not a finished solution, but it is a concrete step in our efforts to keep air pollution as low as possible. This work will become even more important in the years ahead as the airport accommodates more passengers while continuing to show the greatest possible consideration for employees, neighbours and the surrounding environment.’