Following the installation of new technology at its Singapore Changi Airport (SIN) facilities, dnata is aiming to save at least 650 metric tonnes of carbon and 1.5 million kilowatt hours (kwH) of electricity per year.

The Cooling as a Service (CaaS) system, originally implemented at dnata Singapore in January 2022 and which provides cool water and air to its cargo, catering and support facilities, has been retrofitted with high efficiency, low-Global Warming Potential (GWP) technology.

Supplied by provider Kaer, CaaS has also been retrofitted with a suite of data mining, machine learning and carbon monitoring software.

dnata reports that the retrofit has resulted in a 54 per cent reduction in energy consumption at its cargo base, and a 35 per cent reduction at its catering and support offices.

The technology also allows for real-time monitoring and reporting of service levels, as well as energy use and carbon emissions for ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) reporting.

The carbon saving of 650 metric tonnes each year is equivalent to the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from 530 petrol-powered cars for one year, or over six million miles (9.65 million kilometres) driven by an average petrol-powered car. It is also equivalent to the Carbon Dioxide emissions from 464 average homes’ electricity use for one year.

dnata’s Singapore facilities were already benefitting from sustainable technology through the use of a rooftop power plant which comprises of 6,500 individual solar panels, generating over 4,300 megawatt hours of green power each year.

dnata states that this has enabled a reduction of its electricity-related carbon emissions by 20 per cent. The energy savings achieved by the new cooling systems is the equivalent to installing an additional 2,400 rooftop solar panels.

Charles Galloway, dnata’s regional chief executive, airport operations – Asia Pacific, said: “We are proud to be an early pioneer in low-GWP refrigerant, and making our Singapore operations even more efficient and sustainable.

“We have plans to expand our CaaS initiatives to additional areas of our operations, and look forward to working with our partners to further reduce our environmental footprint.”

Justin Taylor, chief executive of Kaer, said: “We are excited to welcome dnata into the CaaS movement and to be a part of their journey towards carbon neutrality.

“Our ongoing partnership with dnata allows us to scale up our investments in low carbon technology in the coming years and showcase how the implementation of CaaS, alongside the use of solar panels can deliver clean and sustainable cooling.”

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