World's first zero-carbon airport unveiled in Ordos

Ordos Ejin Horo International Airport has become the world's first airport to achieve net-zero carbon emissions, with an overall carbon reduction rate of 95.15%, according to findings released at a press conference in Ordos on July 25.

The result was assessed by the China Quality Certification Center and the China Communications and Transportation Association. The airport offsets its limited remaining emissions through compliant measures, bringing its overall net carbon emissions to zero or below.

At the heart of the project is an integrated clean energy system developed by the Peking University Ordos Research Institute of Energy.

The system uses locally generated wind and solar power, supported by energy storage, to provide the airport with electricity, heating and cooling. Its carbon dioxide-based technology delivers cooling in summer and heating in winter, replacing the airport's gas-fired boilers and conventional refrigerant-based cooling equipment.

Seasonal underground energy storage is another important part of the project. Surplus renewable energy and heat can be stored underground during warmer months and used for heating in winter, helping balance differences between energy supply and demand throughout the year.

An AI-powered management platform coordinates the production and use of electricity, heating and cooling across the airport. By forecasting energy demand and adjusting supply in real time, the platform improves renewable energy use and overall efficiency.

The system entered operation on March 15, 2025, and has since fully replaced the airport's previous gas heating and conventional cooling facilities.

Clean energy now accounts for more than 90% of the airport's energy use. The airport consumes over 21 million kilowatt-hours of wind and solar power annually. Energy consumption for heating and cooling has fallen by 60%, while annual operating costs have been reduced by 50%.

The project also saves more than 2 million cubic meters of natural gas each year.

The airport now operates its energy supply without fossil fuels, fluorinated refrigerants or cooling water. According to the research team, the system can also be adapted for industrial parks, data centers and manufacturing facilities.

The technology was developed over more than two decades by a team led by Zhang Xinrong, a professor at Peking University and chief scientist at the Peking University Ordos Research Institute of Energy. The team has worked on carbon dioxide-based power generation, heating, cooling and energy storage technologies since 2003.

The zero-carbon airport project was jointly developed by the Peking University Ordos Research Institute of Energy, Ordos Airport Management Group and Inner Mongolia Shengyuan Energy Group.

By combining renewable power, energy storage and intelligent management in a single system, the project provides a practical model for reducing emissions from airports and other large energy-consuming facilities.