This July 1, 2021, photo shows Kansai International Airport Terminal 2, where an air-conditioning demonstration test will be conducted. (Mainichi/Hirohito Ueno)

       OSAKA -- In a bid to reduce emissions and viral infection risks, Kansai International Airport's Terminal 2 will begin testing an energy-saving air-conditioning system that uses artificial intelligence (AI) and virus removal technology from the winter of fiscal 2021, the operating company and Kobe University have announced.

       Western Japan airport operator Kansai Airports aims to cut its greenhouse gas emissions to practically zero by 2050. The coming test's goal is to halve carbon dioxide emissions to 1,600 tons per year and reduce the airborne viruses' infectious capacity by at least 95%. At the earliest, the system's practical application could come in fiscal 2024.

       Air conditioning accounts for 56% of energy consumption at the Terminal 2 building, as energy is wasted in winter when the heating system makes the ceiling area warmer than necessary, and when temperatures are affected by the inflow of outside air from the doors. Ventilation is also paramount to preventing coronavirus infections.

       In the demonstration test, ultraviolet rays and ozone will be used to reduce the infectious capacity of airborne viruses. AI will learn to optimize where to send air with reduced infection risks, and what temperature to keep the air conditioning in accordance with the flow of people in the terminal. The system is expected to lead to energy saving and infection control.

       The operator will also look at how to "visualize" the times and places where people crowd together to encourage changes in user movement.

       The project, commissioned by the Ministry of the Environment, will cost a total of 545.6 million yen (about $4.9 million) over two years from fiscal 2021.

       (Japanese original by Hirohito Ueno, Osaka City News Department)

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