DALLAS — Work is progressing on a roughly $234 million new utility plant that will boost sustainability efforts at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport.
Construction started about a year ago on the new electric Central Utility Plant, or eCUP, which is expected to help the world's third-busiest airport move closer to achieving net-zero carbon emissions. It will provide heating and cooling for the massive campus and replace the current natural gas-powered plant.
Eaton Corp. PLC, an intelligent power management company, announced on Aug. 20 that it's preparing to install about $10 million worth of equipment at the eCUP in spring 2025.
Eaton (NYSE: ETN) said it will provide power distribution equipment, panelboards, transformers and more to establish a safe electrical backbone for the utility plant. Eaton will also provide engineering services and consultation along with support as a longtime government contractor to meet the federal government’s funding requirements for infrastructure projects.
The eCUP is a pioneering sustainability project that "demonstrates how to simultaneously expand a critical building’s footprint while reducing environmental impact," stated Angie McMillin, president of energy solutions and services at Eaton.
Groundbreaking on the eCUP was held in August 2023. The new plant will be fueled primarily by electricity the airport purchases from 100% renewable sources. It's expected to be partially online by next spring and substantially complete in spring 2026, according to a timeline shared by an airport spokesperson.
The airport said the eCUP will decrease greenhouse gas emissions, reduce ozone precursor emissions and lower the plant’s water usage by 29% compared with today. It will also have additional capacity for future airport growth. DFW is embarking on another major expansion phase, with extensive renovations to Terminal C and construction of the new Terminal F.
"As we prepare to build new gates and other critical infrastructure, we also will ensure that our growth is environmentally responsible and resilient," DFW Airport CEO Sean Donohue stated in 2023.
The project is part of DFW’s mission to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2030. It's backed by more than $116 million in federal funding, including more than $107 million from the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
DFW Airport is home to 28 airlines, including 16 international airlines. The airport offered services to 256 destinations worldwide and handled more than 80 million passengers in 2023 — trailing only Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport and Dubai International Airport for passenger traffic.
In 2016, the airport became the first in North America to achieve carbon neutral status, in which the airport absorbs or offsets all carbon dioxide produced.
In addition to the new plant, DFW said it will replace its aging steam piping distribution system with an efficient hot water piping system.
