A new US$424m central utility plant (CUP) has opened at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) in California, USA. The facility took four years to build and was completed under budget.
The CUP will deliver improved heating and cooling capabilities for the airport terminals and will save the airport approximately US$7m a year in electric and natural gas use. Thanks to its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold design, the new CUP facility will be 25% more energy efficient than the 50-year old building it replaced.
Mike Bonin, council member for Los Angeles, said, “This is the first sustainable utility plant at any airport in the nation, and it is a beacon for how modernization at LAX is turning our airport into the world-class facility and first-class neighbor Los Angeles deserves.
“The CUP and its state-of-the-art pollution-control equipment shows our commitment to sustainability, and solidifies Los Angeles’ leadership role in the march toward a cleaner future.”
Gina Marie Lindsey, executive director for Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA), the airport operator, said, “While LAWA and the airlines undertake billions of dollars in terminal renovations, our new CUP allows us to meet the added demands for air conditioning and heating and to meet passengers’ expectations of a comfortable, temperature-controlled environment.”