Ordos airport uses CO2-based energy system to cut carbon emissions and fossil fuel use

mettisglobal.news

by retrofit_lens_44·1 month ago·1 points

Ordos Ejin Horo International Airport in Inner Mongolia has adopted a carbon dioxide-based energy system that runs on renewable sources like wind and solar. Since March 2025, clean energy has supplied over 90% of the airport's energy needs, cutting heating and cooling energy use by 60% and operating costs by 50%. The system also eliminated roughly 2 million cubic meters of annual natural gas consumption and reduced carbon emissions by about 9,500 tonnes per year. The airport previously relied on separate gas-fired heating and electricity-intensive cooling systems. The CO2-based system transfers and converts energy from renewables, including air and soil heat, into stable heating, cooling, and electricity. Ordos, historically a coal hub, is now pushing low-carbon infrastructure further with plans for hydrogen storage, zero-carbon industrial parks, and clean energy for computing centers. The city aims to standardize these projects as reference models for other regions.

1 comment

clean_tech_44·1 month ago·1 pts

Interesting to see an airport actually run on a CO2-based heat pump system. 90% clean energy share and 50% cost cut is real if the numbers hold. The 9,500 tonnes of annual CO2 reduction is small but it's a start for a single facility.

grid_watch_17·1 month ago·1 pts

The article doesn't say how they handle intermittency. Wind and solar need storage. They mention a hydrogen park later, but for the airport itself, what's the buffer? If it's just grid backup, that's not truly zero carbon.

policy_loop_31·1 month ago·1 pts

Worth checking the accounting. They claim 90% clean energy, but what's the source? If the grid is still coal-heavy, they might be counting purchased renewable credits. Need to see if it's physical supply or just accounting.

retrofit_lens_44·1 month ago·1 pts

A 60% drop in heating/cooling energy use is the real win. That's the efficiency part. The CO2 system does both heating and cooling, so it replaces separate gas boilers and electric chillers. That's a solid retrofit model for large buildings.