Think...The data and energy runway

Whitepaper

Think…

The data and energy runway Beyond passengers and planes, future airport growth and decarbonisation will be shaped by data and power infrastructure.

Inspire a better world through influence and design

We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians as the first engineers and designers of the lands on which we live, gather and work.

We pay our respect to the Elders past and present.

Artwork: Created by Timothy Buckley, a proud Mununjali Man, this artwork titled ‘Thrive’ was commissioned by ADP Consulting, as a representation of our reconciliation journey.

Think... Beyond passengers and planes Airports are not just gateways for aircraft.

They are among the world’s most concentrated nodes for logistics, retail, business and manufacturing.

Major capital city airports in Australia generate roughly half of their revenue from non-aeronautical sources1.

For decades, airports have operated as infrastructure custodians – managing terminals, runways and tenants within tight regulatory bounds.

The next era demands something different.

Airports can become orchestrators that coordinate energy, mobility and data in one integrated ecosystem.

This shift is critical if airports are to unlock new growth from data centres, logistics, advanced manufacturing and commercial precincts – each dependent on reliable, high-capacity energy and data infrastructure. Constraints around airspace, land use and power capacity must be planned for early.

As airport owners move from infrastructure operator to orchestrator, they can also reshape the role they play tackling airside decarbonisation.

Aeronautical revenue

Non-aeronautical revenue Retail, landside transport, property and outgoings

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Think… The data and energy runway

Think… Unique advantages Economic growth beyond the limits of aircraft movements.

Runway capacity is finite. Terminal expansion is complex. Charges are regulated. Curfews apply.

Backed by patient capital and long-term investors

Access to existing customers of high voltage and embedded networks

Ideal locations for industrial precincts and commercial parks

Key logistical and retail hubs

But airports possess a set of structural advantages that few other asset classes can match.

These competitive advantages position airports for staged expansion into energy, logistics, advanced manufacturing and data infrastructure.

Long-term leases from the Commonwealth and protected by the Australian Federal Police

Data-rich operations and connectivity

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Airport advantages

Large landholdings with expansion possibilities

Think… The data and energy runway

Established and informed operations teams

Strong industry advocacy and supportive regulatory frameworks

Scale to negotiate favourable energy contracts

Think… The energy launchpad Data centres, new industrial uses and the electrification of buildings and fleets demand more than incremental upgrades.

They demand a step change.

Think: expanding private high-voltage network beyond terminals to logistics hubs, compute facilities and emerging industries into one coordinated energy platform.

Unrestrained by councils, public roads and other typical approvals, power can be delivered faster to its required destination.

Savvy airport operators will not simply expand supply. They will:

• Deliver low cost and high-capacity power through advantageous power purchase agreements.

• Connect power to users faster than typical greenfield sites.

Power is orchestrated infrastructure, not just an operating cost.

Currently planned power requirements

Grid Potential for increased airport and data centre resilience

Existing airport power requirements

Electrification of building services

Airport expansion

Future power requirements

• Fluctuate loads to align with renewable generation.

• Deploy batteries to flatten peaks and manage volatility.

• Integrate on-site generation.

Large data centres (new grid connection likely required)

Airport focused and edge data centres

Electric cars, buses, taxis and logistics

• Sequence demand across precinct users.

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Think… The data and energy runway

Electrified ground support equipment (GSE)

Alternative propulsion (batteries and H2 and sustainable aviation fuel) production

Advanced manufacturing

On-site power generation and batteries

Think… Data s power demand Power demand is rising just as Australia enters a data centre boom.

Artificial intelligence, sovereign cloud requirements and enterprise digital transformation are driving unprecedented demand for data centres.

Developers are not just looking for land.

They want power certainty, planning clarity and operational resilience.

Airports meet that brief – in specific precincts and contexts.

Timing is also critical, as private ownership of roads and energy networks combined with faster development approvals can facilitate outcomes more quickly than conventional data centre locations.

Airports already offer:

• Planning certainty and industrial zoning, where noise and operational intensity are already normalised.

Traditional large data centre customers

• Air and road connectivity, critical for equipment logistics, maintenance access and workforce mobility.

• High-security environments, supported by Commonwealth leases and Australian Federal Police presence.

• Experienced on-site facilities teams, capable of managing complex assets and negotiating sophisticated power arrangements.

International tech giants

Additional airport customers

• Institutional backing and strong government relationships, supporting long-term investment confidence.

These advantages are not universal and depend on site-specific factors such as airspace controls, runway proximity, construction constraints and available power capacity.

But the airport’s greatest advantage, arguably, is that they possess something few greenfield sites can match: proximity to customers.

• Existing high-voltage networks with embedded demand and established energy management capability that reduces connection timeframes and power uncertainty.

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Think… The data and energy runway

State, federal and public organisations

Advanced manufacturing

Airport land and air operations

Logistics and transport

Think… The power precinct Visualising the energy and data ecosystem Short-haul battery or hydrogen planes Planes use HV network for ground support equipment (GSE) and ground power units (GPUs) and airport HVAC for pre-conditioned air (PCA)

HV network transformers connecting to airside electrified GSEs

Enhanced data ability may allow digital air traffic control towers (ATCs)

New industries including H2 and SAF production

On-site solar array

Commercial vehicle logistics

HV and data network serving airport Network connection for HV network

Advanced manufacturing and logistic hubs have high data and power requirements

Enhanced connection for EV chargers

On-site data centre (large load)

Connection to grid and data export ADP Consulting

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Think… The data and energy runway

Think… Airside decarbonisation Aviation is responsible for 2.5% of global emissions and nearly all of those emissions come from burning aviation fuel.2 Landside decarbonisation is progressing quickly through electrification, electric vehicles and renewables. However, these only address a small fraction of the challenge.

Aviation’s decarbonisation away from aviation fuel emissions is complex, but possible by: 1. Substituting the carbon-intensive fuel and 2. Integrating energy and data.

98 % Aviation fuel

Aviation sector's CO2 emissions

Sustainable aviation fuel and hydrogen will drive down emissions over time. But their cost, supply constraints and infrastructure requirements place them largely outside the direct control of airport operators.

2%

Ground operations

This means immediate decarbonisation sits outside the too-hard basket – in ground-side systems that airports can influence directly.

The emissions from aviation fuel dwarf the emissions from ground operations

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Think… The data and energy runway

Think... Carbon flight path “The future airport sits

where power, transport and data converge – no longer a transport gateway, but an economic centre anchored by aviation and powered by electrons and information”

Alister Curtain Associate Director | Aviation Lead

Understanding flight paths opens an untapped area of potential improvement.

To understand carbon saving potential, we need to understand the literal flight paths and where the carbon is emitted.

Carbon emissions apportioned to flight

Cruise 70% Departures

Gate and taxi 2-3%

Take-off and climb 20%

Descent and landing 5.5%

Taxi to gate 1.5%

Arrivals

Total airside decarbonisation is decades away, up to 10% of emissions can be cut from business as usual, by targeting ground operations and optimised flight ascents and descents.3 Decarbonising the "cruise phase" of any flight is often limited to airline technology, weight and availability of alternative fuel sources.

Options available to reduce airside emissions

Electrify ground service units and ground support equipment

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Reduce use of auxillary power units (APUs) and increase use of ground power units (GPUs) and pre-conditioned air (PCA)

Think… The data and energy runway

Increase AI and control for continual climb and descents and collaborative decision making (A-CDM)

Use or blend alternative fuels

Think… Airside decarbonisation Energy and data integration has the potential to deliver airside emissions and efficiency gains Visual towers are being replaced with digital towers with AI and collaborative decision making

Optimised climb and air traffic control

Optimised descent and air traffic control Battery powered PCAs and GPUs (Air-conditioning and power)

Planes served by ground power whilst docked New fuel lines SAF and H2

EV pushback tractors for aircraft movement taxis to and from runway

Electrically powered catering and baggage equipment

Terminal building Terminal fully electrified and setup to serve aircraft, apron and additional power and HVAC demands

Minimise use of ancillary power unit on plane.

Typically only 8-14% efficient and run off jet fuel.4

Aerobridge mounted PCA and GPU served off terminal's HVAC and power systems

HVAC connections to PCA

Electrically powered GSE charging bays (possible future charging of aircraft) Local substation fed from enhanced HV network.

New switchboard to meet enhanced loads.

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Think… The data and energy runway

Airport apron

Think… The way forward Energy and data infrastructure is the first step to unlocking the next era of economic growth.

Power and data will unlock new industries and revenue streams, while decarbonisation will meet the ESG requirements of emerging policy, institutional investors and a public concerned about climate change.

That means: •

Planning high-voltage infrastructure expansion as a core growth enabler

•

Designing precincts around electrification and future loads

•

Integrating operational data into energy decision-making

•

Aligning capital planning with long-term decarbonisation goals

The result? Diversified revenue, greater resilience and assets built for a decarbonising economy.

Image credit: Brisbane Airport

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Think… The data and energy runway

'Think' is a thought leadership series developed by ADP Consulting to ask and answer some of the big questions confronting the property and construction industry.

We bring together a team ready to embrace the immense opportunities and tackle the obstacles ahead.

Our experts Alister Curtain Aviation Lead Associate Director Marina Burneska Director

John Vollugi Director ADP Consulting’s vision is to inspire a better world through influence and design.

Author & illustrator Alex Sear Director

Founded in 2011 in Australia, ADP Consulting is is a trusted sustainability-led multi-services engineering consultancy with more than 350 Thinkers, and a growing international footprint.

ADP Consulting has now joined forces with Ayesa, one of the world’s largest technology and engineering companies, in a move that facilitates new pathways and accelerates our growth.

We provide building services engineering, structures, sustainability, ICT, acoustics, audio visual, security, vertical transportation, specialist lighting, energy design and fire safety to the property and construction industry.

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Think… The data and energy runway

Sources 1. Airport Pacific Annual Report 2025, Brisbane Airport Corporation & Melbourne Airport, 2025, APAC Annual Report 2025 FINAL, https://www.bne.com.au/media/24804/ download?inline https://www.melbourneairport.com. au/_assets/be08d7b0-97a1-02f9-2be6a0c139c3c337/83816f8c-ae99-45ef-ac84b1bd9a2b440b/APAC_Annual_Report_2025_ FINAL.pdf

3. Reducing aviation’s carbon footprint through improved traffic control, CORDIS (European Commission), https://cordis.europa.eu/article/id/451363-reducingaviation-s-carbon-footprint-through-improved-trafficcontrol The emissions during flight are dependent on a number of specifics: airline, distance, technology, airport layout and traffic. Percentages shown are for a domestic flight between Melbourne and Sydney are indicative only and based on information gathered from a number of sources including the above.

4. Flughafen Zürich AG. (2018). Aircraft ground energy systems at Zurich Airport. https://media.flughafen-zuerich.ch/-/jssmedia/ airport/portal/dokumente/das-unternehmen/ politics-and-responsibility/environmentalprotection/technische-berichte/2018_zrh_ aircraft-ground-energy-system.pdf?vs=1&r ev=fbfc4cf03cf742b597cb634ba689a525& sc_lang=en&sc_site=dxp-portal&hash=4A3AD72 74EFE88C3DE46B0EF61D1B42C Cover image credit: Melbourne Airport

2. International Energy Agency, Aviation — Transport, IEA, https://www.iea.org/energy-system/transport/ aviation ADP Consulting

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Think… The data and energy runway

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