Atlanta Airport to Chill Energy Costs with Novel Ice Storage System

ATLANTA, GA – April 23, 2026 – Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), the world's busiest passenger hub, is taking a significant step toward a cooler, more sustainable future. The airport has selected Nostromo Energy's innovative IceBrick® thermal energy storage (TES) technology for installation in three of its concourses, a move designed to slash energy costs, enhance operational resilience, and reduce its carbon footprint.

This project involves deploying three IceBrick systems with a combined capacity of 2,200 Ton-refrigeration-hours. By storing energy in the form of ice, the airport can strategically shift its massive cooling demand away from peak hours, a decision that promises substantial economic and environmental dividends. The installation, scheduled for completion this year, marks a major milestone in the airport's long-term modernization and sustainability efforts.

A Strategic Move for a Modern Hub

The decision to integrate thermal storage is not an isolated upgrade but a key component of Hartsfield-Jackson's ambitious, multi-billion-dollar capital improvement program, ATLNext. This program is reimagining the airport's infrastructure to handle future growth while embedding sustainability into its core operations. For a sprawling facility in the hot and humid climate of the American South, cooling is a massive operational challenge and expense, accounting for as much as 30% to 60% of a terminal's total energy consumption.

By targeting this significant energy load, ATL is directly addressing one of its largest operational costs and environmental impacts. The airport, which holds an ISO 50001 certification for its energy management system, has set aggressive targets: to operate on 100% clean and renewable energy by 2035 and achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. The IceBrick installation is a tangible step toward these goals, demonstrating a commitment to adopting cutting-edge technology to drive efficiency.

"We are proud to soon have our technology support the world's busiest airport, helping its professional operators maintain passengers' comfort and leadership in operational excellence," commented Doug Poffinbarger, VP US Commercial Operations at Nostromo Energy. "The large cooling loads of airports, especially in the south, make them ideal candidates for deploying thermal energy storage, which boosts their resilience and efficiency."

How Ice Power Works

The concept behind Nostromo's IceBrick system is elegantly simple yet technologically advanced. It functions as a thermal battery, but instead of storing electrons in chemical compounds, it stores cooling energy in ice. During off-peak hours, typically overnight when electricity demand is low and prices are cheaper, the system uses power from the grid to freeze water contained within its modular, encapsulated cells.

During the afternoon, when air conditioning demand soars and electricity prices hit their peak, the system reverses its function. The stored ice is used to chill water that circulates through the concourses' HVAC systems, providing a significant portion of the required cooling. This process, known as "peak shaving," effectively shifts a large electrical load from the most expensive and grid-strained part of the day to a time when the grid has ample capacity.

The system's modular, "behind-the-meter" design allows it to be installed flexibly in available spaces like basements or on rooftops, making it suitable for retrofitting existing structures like airport concourses. Furthermore, the technology is built on a foundation of safety, using non-toxic, non-flammable water as its storage medium, and is fully recyclable with a projected lifespan of over 25 years with negligible degradation.

The Ripple Effect on Grid and Wallet

The benefits of this project extend far beyond the airport's property lines. For Hartsfield-Jackson, the immediate impact is a significant reduction in operational costs. By avoiding the highest demand charges on its utility bills—which can account for up to 50% of a commercial customer's electricity costs—the airport stands to realize substantial savings.

On a broader scale, the project contributes to the stability of the entire regional power grid. By reducing its peak demand, ATL lessens the strain on Georgia Power's infrastructure. This type of demand-side management helps utilities avoid firing up expensive and often less efficient "peaker plants"—typically powered by natural gas or oil—that are brought online only to meet high demand for a few hours a day. Reducing the reliance on these plants not only lowers costs for the utility but also cuts regional carbon emissions.

In the long term, widespread adoption of technologies like thermal energy storage can defer the need for costly grid infrastructure upgrades, a benefit that ultimately translates to more stable and affordable energy for all consumers. It also provides an added layer of resilience, offering backup cooling capacity in the event of a primary equipment failure, ensuring passenger comfort is maintained even during disruptions.

An American-Made Solution Gains Traction

The installation at ATL serves as a powerful endorsement for Nostromo Energy and its US-made technology. In an era of supply chain uncertainty, the use of domestically manufactured systems for critical infrastructure is a significant advantage. Nostromo's water-based system stands out in the energy storage market, offering a compelling alternative to chemical batteries for cooling applications due to its longer lifespan, lower levelized cost, and inherent safety.

This project's significance is further underscored by the federal government's growing interest in such technologies. Nostromo Energy recently received a conditional commitment for a $305 million loan from the U.S. Department of Energy's Loan Programs Office. While not for the ATL project specifically, this funding is intended to help scale the IceBrick technology for use in large-scale virtual power plants, where networks of distributed energy resources are aggregated to support the grid.

This federal backing signals strong confidence in the potential of thermal energy storage to play a pivotal role in the nation's energy transition. The deployment at a high-visibility site like Hartsfield-Jackson provides a real-world showcase, creating a blueprint for other airports, data centers, hospitals, and large commercial buildings to follow as they seek to balance economic pressures with environmental responsibilities.