Fiumicino International Airport
Leonardo Da Vinci International Airport of Fiumicino is the largest Italian airport, declared Best Airport in Europe by the Airport International Council for 3 consecutive years, in the category of over 40 million passengers per year. For more than 5 years Studio Santi has been assisting Aeroporti di Roma and Spea Engineering with complex multidisciplinary energy engineering services, ranging from dynamic energy modeling to executive design of plants, including airport networks and energy generation systems, from glare studies of photovoltaic systems at the airport to energy system design for the doubling of the entire airport by 2044, decarbonization and sustainability, through technological innovation and digitalization.
Our Services
What we have done
For the verification of compliance with the VIA requirements relating to near-zero energy buildings (nZEB) built in the “Fiumicino Sud” Development Plan (Molo C, Hub Ovest, Molo A, Hub Est, Lost & Found, CBC, ET1, AIC, NID), Studio Santi has developed a special evaluation methodology – also based on the guideline Design criteria and management of eco-sustainable airport terminals, drawn up by Studio Santi in 2014 for ENAC/Min.Amb. – and implemented the dynamic energy modeling of the buildings, also with the help of the Design Builder/Energy Plus platform, obtaining the compliance decisions of the Min. Amb. (DVAEC-2015-0000314 of 03/09/2015 and later).
Using the SGHAT methodology (Solar Glare Hazard Analysis Tool) developed by the Sandia – Lockeed Martin laboratories and applied by the Federal Aviation Administration of the USA, Studio Santi carried out the glare studies for all the photovoltaic systems located within the Fiumicino airport, on the roofs of buildings and in the areas alongside the slopes and adjacent, for more than 30 plants. Studio Santi also carried out the energy and glare studies for the windows of the new facade of terminal T3 and the new VIP room at Ciampino airport, as well as for the application of anti-glare solar films on the old external window of terminal T3.
The famous designer Mario Bellini designed the redevelopment of the facade of the T3 terminal, using a magnificent double glass case designed to reveal the original Morandi structures. Studio Santi has conceived and designed the thermo-mechanical, hydraulic, electrical, lighting and special systems at the service of the new facade and has also drawn up the preliminary project of the energy systems for the redevelopment of the entire T3 terminal and the variant to the fire prevention project of the terminal related to the redevelopment of the facade.
To drastically improve safety and allow airport development, Studio Santi designed the reconfiguration of the airport MV electricity network, dividing it into 4 autonomous MV networks (Normal, Emergency, Cargo, AVL) each manned by a pair of HV/MV transformers, one reserve to the other, located in the new HV/MV electricity substation. MV networks have the highest degree of reliability, and they are operated in a closed loop with logic selectivity protections. The emergency network is triple-powered: from the public network, from island cogeneration (“no-break”) and from MV generators (“break”), with continuous active control of generation with respect to the load.
For the expected doubling of traffic (from 43 to over 80 million passengers/year), of the volumes and of the energy and water needs of Fiumicino airport, Studio Santi has developed the feasibility project of the utilities (electricity networks, AVL, data, thermal, aviation fuels, water and purifiers) of the new airport development plan to the East, in the technical area, for an investment of over 2 billion euros, of which over 200 million for utilities alone.
With a view to airport development, Studio Santi has conceived and defined the new energy system for the Fiumicino airport: a hybrid system consisting of a 120 MW natural gas cogeneration CCGT plant, photovoltaic systems for about 60 MWp and energy storage with 60MW|60MWh Li-Ion batteries. The system is able to guarantee a triple “no-break” energy supply to the entire airport, protecting it even from disastrous events, reducing climate-altering emissions by 65% per passenger and increasing to over 50% the share of energy needs covered by the direct use of renewable energy available at the airport. Studio Santi has also developed the concept of the airport energy system in the long term, 100% renewable and with zero emissions, thanks to the development of photovoltaics in the areas adjacent to the airport and the local production of green hydrogen for powering the CCGT plant. possibly also with sequestration of carbon dioxide (CCS).
Together with the DIAEE department of Sapienza University, Studio Santi has studied the evolution of electric mobility to/from Fiumicino airport, both land-side (private cars, taxis/NCC, buses/shuttles, employees’ cars) and air-side (ramp vehicles), as well as the adaptation of parking lots and related electrical infrastructures.
Through a master’s degree thesis in energy engineering, in collaboration with ENEA, Studio Santi has modeled – in order to optimize its configuration and operation – the double loop district heating network of Fiumicino airport, powered by the local cogeneration (3 endothermic gas engines of approximately 8 MW each) and used for winter heating of the terminals, the production of domestic hot water and summer air conditioning of the terminals through absorption refrigeration units.
As a multi-disciplinary consulting engineering firm, Studio Santi is the holder of 2 framework agreements with Aeroporti di Roma for the tests and static checks of the artifacts located inside the Fiumicino and Ciampino airports, as well as the new windows installed for noise protection in the schools near Ciampino airport.
