With this pilot project, in collaboration with the energy platform Bolt and as part of the European Stargate project, Brussels Airport aims to examine the viability of such a scheme. The airport operator – Brussels Airport Company – is strongly committed to green energy, such as solar power, and aims to achieve net zero carbon emissions for its own operations by 2030. The airport does not currently generate a surplus of green energy but is expected to do so in the future.
Residents of Zaventem, Machelen, Steenokkerzeel, and Kortenberg can sign up through Bolt to receive a year of green energy from Brussels Airport Company. Effective February 2025, 100 households will receive locally generated green energy from the airport's solar panels at a more favourable tariff than the market price.
Approximately 9,200MWh of green energy is already being produced on-site at Brussels Airport using solar panels. In 2024, an additional 65,000m² of solar panels was added to the cargo zone. The airport aims to reach 27 MWp, generating approximately 24,000 megawatt-hours per year, by 2027.
Working with Bolt
Neighbouring households can now sign up for this offer through energy platform Bolt, which will handle the practical implementation. Once 100 households have signed up, the offer will no longer be available. Consumers need not take any further action; Bolt will ensure that their energy consumption is supplied by solar power from Brussels Airport. After this one-year pilot project, neighbouring households will have the option to switch to another supplier through Bolt or choose a different energy provider on their own.
For this pilot offer, Brussels Airport is providing a discount that equates to approximately €124 off the annual energy bill of an average household. After the pilot project, feedback from participating families will be sought so that, in addition to practical experience, their user experience can be taken into account for the future and shared with other airports that are part of the Stargate project.
