Sustainability

Powering Airport Operations with Renewable Energy and Smart Technology

We’re on our journey to becoming New Zealand’s greenest gateway as we lead the way in sustainable aviation.

Since 2018, New Plymouth Airport has been measuring its carbon footprint and is currently certified at Level 2 (Reduction). Work is now underway towards achieving Level 4 (Neutrality).

The airport is proud of the tangible steps taken to cut emissions across both the airport and its wider campus. Key initiatives include:

Solar Farm to generate renewable energy on-site.
Energy management systems in the terminal to maximise efficiency.
Upgrades to wastewater disposal systems, which will significantly lower greenhouse gas emissions.

These initiatives demonstrate steady, measurable progress in reducing the airport’s environmental impact.

Our Renewable Energy Ecosystem

We’re proud to announce the plan for our integrated energy management system featuring:

10MW Solar Farm

Generating clean, renewable energy on-site.

New 1MWh Battery Storage System

Enabling 24/7 renewable energy use.

Level 2 ACA

New Plymouth Airport has been part of the Airports Council International (ACI) Airport Carbon Accreditation (ACA) programme since January 2022.

This global initiative includes more than 600 airports committed to reducing carbon emissions and improving sustainability. The programme has six levels of certification: Mapping, Reduction, Optimisation, Neutrality, Transformation, and Transition.

Waste water system upgrade

New Plymouth Airport has upgraded its wastewater system to ensure ongoing environmental compliance and to future-proof its infrastructure to support the airport’s growth in the years ahead.

Runway Asphalt Repurposed

As part of last year’s runway overlay project, 1,650m³ of asphalt was removed. Rather than sending it to landfill, we’ve repurposed the millings across multiple projects, reducing costs and minimising waste while supporting our sustainability goals.

Electric Vehicle Charging

We have installed an Autel Energy fast charger, supplied by Thundergrid, has been installed, delivering 60–240kW of power. This will provide a rapid-charging option for travellers with dwell times between 30 minutes and two hours (actual charging time will vary depending on battery size).