Energy transition of Italian airports

Reducing airport consumption, increasing the use of renewable energy and making vehicles, pitches and infrastructures more efficient. These are some of the topics addressed at the Energy Manager Forum, organised by ENAC on 19 October 2026 with the participation of ENEA, Terna and the National Council of Engineers.

The meeting brought together institutions, professionals and airport operators to compare solutions and strategies for the decarbonisation of the sector. The path launched by ENAC also aims to create a national community of airport Energy Managers, with common tools to plan, measure and manage airport energy consumption more effectively.

There are three main guidelines: 

• sustainable development of infrastructure, 
• greater energy efficiency, 
• integration of airports with the country's other strategic networks, starting with electricity.

What can change at airports
Among the interventions discussed are the development of photovoltaic systemsand storage systems, the electrification of ground handling vehicles and airport lay-bys, the monitoring of consumption and a greater ability of airports to adapt to the effects of climate change.
Space will also be given to the use of artificial intelligence in energy management, consumption diagnoses and the definition of new tools to measure the resilience of infrastructures.
 

For the passenger, these transformations are not very visible compared to a new terminal or a commercial service, but which affect the daily operation of airports: from the energy needed for buildings and systems to the vehicles that operate around the aircraft.

Photovoltaics and more efficient infrastructure
During the Forum, the ENAC guidelines for photovoltaic systems, the Minimum Environmental Criteria and the airport resilience assessment systems were also explored.
The collaboration between ENEA and ENAC also aims to transfer skills and technologies developed in the field of energy efficiency to airports, including the models of the Positive Energy Districts, with the aim of experimenting with systems capable of producing and using energy more efficiently.
Another front concerns the relationship between airports and the national electricity grid, through discussions with Terna on the possible synergies necessary to support a growing electrification of operations.
The Forum is thus part of a broader program with which ENAC intends to accompany Italian airports in the energy transition, trying to reconcile the growth of traffic and infrastructure with the reduction of environmental impact and more efficient management of resources.