OCEM Airfield

Q: What are OCEM’s strategies and approaches as the aviation industry takes on the path to making net zero possible? 

OCEM Airfield has addressed the net zero strategy for over a decade with its products and solutions, addressing the needs of airports to radically reduce their energy spend but also reduce the number of unnecessary maintenance interventions. Since then, a significant portion of our R&D budget has gone toward not only improving the lights, power solutions, and systems that contribute to safety and efficiency, but also reducing airports' environmental footprint. In 2023, we are launching several new innovations that will further address the sustainability needs of airports while making smarter use of the latest generation of technologies.

Q: How has OCEM’s innovated its solutions to help improve energy efficiency in airports? 

With regards to Airfield Ground Lighting, the move to the latest generation LED technologies has contributed significantly to the energy savings of airports. With the exponential rise in the cost of energy, we have seen a growing demand for solutions that support the energy savings programs of airports, and this is where we play a key role. We don’t only help with our light fittings but also with the power solutions needed to power these fittings, with our control systems, and with our services that focus on supporting customers to find the right solutions, often with savings of up to 70% compared to past installations. We also help to see how we can create new approaches to maintenance. Our aim is to maintain the quality of the assets while decreasing the need for maintenance interventions, thereby limiting downtime at airports and the number of often unnecessary movements.

Q: Which airport(s) in Asia do you think others should emulate when it comes to reducing carbon emissions through energy-efficient airfield lighting without compromising lighting performance, and why?  

It’s very difficult to give examples of specific airports, as we have seen that most of the Tier 1 airports from Australia to Vietnam and from Taiwan to Malaysia have made substantial efforts over the past 5 years. The move to energy-efficient airfield ground lighting from LED fittings to IGBT (insulated-gate bipolar transistor) power solutions and control and monitoring systems has been very important. The biggest future savings lie in the adoption of energy-efficient airfield ground lighting solutions by Tier 2 and Tier 3 airports, since their numbers are much higher. In a lot of cases, the growth in air traffic will come from these airports. We must ensure that they adopt the latest technologies as quickly as possible and do not opt for solutions that appear inexpensive during the acquisition phase but cost a multiple when in use, due to higher energy consumption as well as a sharp increase in maintenance requirements.

Q: After 2 years of industry change, airport advancement, and digital acceleration, what are some of the challenges airports in Asia are facing now and how are they keeping up with their European counterparts? 

As with all airports worldwide, airports in Asia have lost a lot of money during the pandemic, not only because of the many restrictions and the lower traveler numbers but also because fixed costs didn’t go away and kept on running as the airport needed to be kept operational. The fact that the restrictions were implemented for a longer time didn’t help these airports, and business travel has been lagging for a longer period, so income also remained low when traffic picked up again. We now see that travel is picking up again and that investments are getting back to normal with many projects in the region. This was much needed and will assure that airports can become more efficient both in terms of energy savings and overall operations by implementing the latest solutions that will support a decrease in the total costs of ownership and maintenance. We see a very positive evolution, even though it has been delayed because of the pandemic, but the forecasts remain healthy, and once travel is back where it is supposed to be, then this should be the region to benefit most from the rise in (inter)national travel. The role of local governments will be key in making sure local airports big and small can find the right financing to speed up the adoption of the latest technologies.