"We'd been planning to stop using gas for some time, and the situation in Europe sped up that process," Tallinn Airport management board chair Riivo Tuvike said according to a press release. The airport started actively analyzing alternative heat sources in March.

According to Tuvike, the switch to district heating, which will be provided by the Tallinn-based utility and energy company Utilitas, will reduce the airport's carbon footprint by nearly one fifth.

"Two thirds of the heating Utilitas produces comes from renewable sources, including wood chips, which will help us reach our target of carbon neutrality by 2030," he said, adding that another plus is the fact that utilizing residue from local logging and the wood industry will cut down on transport emissions and is in line with the principles of the circular economy.

Switching to district heating will also bring down prices for both the airport and its lessees and help avoid the fluctuations seen in gas prices, he noted.

As of Monday, a total of 70,129 square meters of the combined 93,563 square meters of buildings on the airport's enclosed territory is covered by district heating.

"This year, we've paid nearly €2 million for gas to heat our buildings," Tuvike highlighted. "If we'd been using district heating, we would have paid around half as much."

Tallinn Airport's switch from natural gas to district heating further adds to its energy independence and security of supply while also contributing to achieving its environmental goals, the airport said Thursday; Estonia's main airport aims to be carbon-neutral by 2030.

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