Centerlines - September 2008 - (Page 59) E N V IR O N M E N T cars at home in exchange for guaranteed 30-minute trips to the airport from downtown Seattle. Horizon Air has converted its pushback tractors and electric carts from diesel to electric, as have some other carriers to a lesser degree. Electric ground service equipment energy costs are only 15 to 20 percent of that of diesel-fueled equipment, yielding savings that could cover the capital cost difference between the two vehicles types in two to three years. Aircraft power back, which generates significant nitrogen dioxide emissions, is prohibited. All gates have 400Hz power, making it unnecessary for aircraft to run their turbine auxiliary power units (APUs). A proposal to install a centralized preconditioned air system will supply cooled, heated or dried air to aircraft at all gates; currently about 10 percent of the gates use preconditioned air units. This project could reduce greenhouse gasses emissions by nearly 40,000 tons of carbon dioxide annually. “Right now planes have to turn their engines on and use APUs. But if you provide a place at the gate to plug in planes and provide preconditioned air, they can turn them off. This program will cost $31 million and pay for itself in about two and one half years. We will be moving forward with the design of this project later this year,” Leavitt explained. Onward to the Cutting Edge Many more initiatives are planned to further reduce carbon dioxide emissions. When the airport presented its inventory of greenhouse gasses to the Port of Seattle Commission earlier this year, said Leavitt, “The Commission adopted a motion asking staff to go to the airlines and tenants and come back with some specific emission reduction goals by the end of the year. Our elected officials are pushing us to the cutting edge of what is going on internationally here.” “Air emissions are an everincreasing issue for airports and their communities, and global climate change and jet fuel prices have brought the need for emission reductions to the forefront” added Mark Reis, Managing Director of Sea-Tac Airport. “Airports need to take a leading role in climate change efforts, working cooperatively with our business partners on greenhouse gas reductions. With jet fuel prices at an all time high, it makes economic sense for the airlines while benefitting the environment.” ■ WEBLINK Access Seattle-Tacoma International Airport’s greenhouse gas inventory report at: www.portseattle.org/downloads/ community/environment/ greenhousegas08.pdf You’re in for a smooth ride. ADVANCE TESTING CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS TESTING + INSPECTION Ride Quality Testing • Friction Testing • Quality Control Advance Testing has 25 years of experience testing airport runways to help ensure that quality and longevity is never a question. On every project, we strive to exceed the expectations of our clients. Our continued investment in new technologies, combined with our staff’s commitment to quality, ensures your test results are done right, right away. 1-800-808-3868 WWW.ADVANCETESTING.COM 394805_Advance.indd 1 www.aci-na.org | CENTERLINES 8/11/08 4:30:25 PM 59 http://www.portseattle.org/downloads/community/environment/greenhousegas08.pdf http://www.advancetesting.com http://www.aci-na.org
For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.