Destination Zero: How Tenerife South Airport is Mapping a Greener Future
Tuesday, February 24th, 2026
If you’ve recently touched down at Tenerife South Airport (TFS), you might have noticed more than just the warm breeze and the towering silhouette of Mount Teide. Behind the scenes, the airport is undergoing a quiet, high-tech transformation.
While Tenerife South has held a Level 1 Airport Carbon Accreditation since 2021, the conversation around its environmental footprint has reached a vital turning point. With new international regulations and ambitious renewable energy targets coming online in 2026, the airport is moving from simply “measuring” its impact to actively “shrinking” it.
What is Airport Carbon Accreditation?
Think of Airport Carbon Accreditation (ACA) as a global “green leaderboard” for airports. Managed by ACI EUROPE, it’s the only institutionally endorsed carbon management certification standard for airports. It ensures that when an airport says it is “going green,” those claims are backed by rigorous, independent audits.
The program has several levels, starting at Level 1 (Mapping) and moving all the way up to Level 5 (Net Zero). Tenerife South is currently at Level 1, meaning it has successfully mapped out every gram of CO2 it produces directly, from the boilers in the terminal to the vehicles on the tarmac.
Why is 2026 a Milestone Year?
You might wonder why a certification achieved in 2021 is making headlines now. The reason is twofold:
- The “Three-Year Rule”: New rules introduced in 2025 mean that airports can no longer stay at the “Mapping” stage indefinitely. To keep their accreditation, they must now prove they are actively reducing emissions within three years. This has shifted Tenerife South into high gear, and the airport is poised to leap from Level 1 to Level 2 (“Reduction”).
- The Solar Revolution: 2026 marks the target for the airport operator Aena’s “Photovoltaic Plan.” The goal? To power the airport using 100% renewable energy.
See here for more information on how this is going to be achieved.
This goal of using 100% renewable energy applies to all 46 airports in the Aena network in Spain, including Tenerife South. While the goal is ambitious, Aena’s strategy involves two distinct pillars that make it technically and contractually achievable by 2026.
1. 100% Renewable Electricity Purchase (Pillar One)
Aena has already largely met the “renewable origin” portion of this goal through its procurement strategy.
- Certified Contracts: Aena has awarded a series of massive electricity supply contracts (valued at hundreds of millions of euros) to providers like Endesa and Iberdrola. These contracts mandate that 100% of the energy supplied to the airports must be backed by “renewable energy certificates,” proving it comes from clean sources such as wind, solar, or hydro.
- Immediate Implementation: This mechanism allows even airports without large on-site solar farms to run on renewable energy immediately by using the national grid’s certified green supply.
2. The Photovoltaic Plan for On-Site Generation (Pillar Two)
The second pillar is the “Photovoltaic Plan,” which aims to transition the network from merely buying green energy to generating it on-site.
- Self-Supply Targets: The goal is to reach 100% self-sufficiency from renewable energy facilities by 2026. This involves an investment of over €350 million to install solar panels across more than 720 hectares of airport land.
- Major Projects: Significant progress is visible at major hubs. For instance, a 120-MW solar park at Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas is currently under construction and expected to be operational by 2027.
- Current Progress: As of mid-2025, Aena reported having ten airports with guaranteed connection rights for solar projects. These facilities are projected to supply approximately 51% of the network’s total energy demand from on-site generation by 2029 (based on 2019 consumption levels).
The current situation
- Usage: In terms of the airports running on 100% renewable electricity, Aena is already successful. Through its centralised supply contracts, the electricity flowing into the terminals at Tenerife South and other airports is already of 100% renewable origin.
- Ongoing Transition (Generation): In terms of generating 100% of that power on-site, the goal remains a work in progress. While some airports are moving faster, the network-wide transition to total self-sufficiency is a multi-year infrastructure challenge that will likely extend toward the end of the decade as the final large-scale solar parks come online.
By combining on-site solar generation with certified renewable purchases, Aena ensures that Tenerife South and its sister airports meet the environmental requirements for higher Airport Carbon Accreditation levels, even while the physical construction of solar fields continues.
Technical Wins You Can See (and Smell!)
Sustainability isn’t just about spreadsheets; it’s about better technology on the ground. Next time you’re at your gate, look out the window. You may notice aircraft plugged into the terminal via 400 Hz ground power units.
In the past, planes had to keep their small onboard engines (APUs) running to keep the lights and air conditioning on while parked. Now, by plugging into the airport’s grid and using Pre-Conditioned Air (PCA) units, pilots can switch those engines off. This doesn’t just lower carbon emissions, it makes the air around the terminal cleaner and the environment much quieter for passengers and staff alike.
How Tenerife South Compares
Tenerife South is in good company. Most airports in the Canary Islands are currently at Level 1, with neighbouring Lanzarote currently leading the pack at Level 2. While major hubs like London or Berlin have reached higher levels, Tenerife’s rapid investment in solar energy means the gap is closing quickly.
| Airport | ACA Level |
| Tenerife South | Level 1 (Transitioning to Level 2) |
| Lanzarote | Level 2 |
| London Heathrow & Gatwick | Level 4+ |
| Manchester Airport | Level 3+ |
A Brighter, Cleaner Horizon
The journey to Net Zero by 2030 is a long-haul flight, not a sprint. However, with the foundational work of carbon mapping complete and massive investments in solar power and LED efficiency now bearing fruit, Tenerife South is proving that holiday travel and environmental responsibility can share the same runway.
The next time you fly to or from Tenerife South, you can do so with the confidence that your gateway to the sun is working hard to protect the very climate that makes the island so special.