LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport's plan to go green is making major steps forward. 

After waiting six months to finish the $21.7 million geothermal well field, nine acres of concrete was poured. The geothermal wells that sit 500 feet below ground are now undergoing their initial tests before the system becomes fully operational.

"We are underway with circulating water through the system right now. Lot of filtering, lot of cleaning of the pipes, getting the system ready. We're working in the terminal in separate little areas to bring the system online," said Louisville Airport Authority Chief Operating Officer Brian Sinnwell. 

Geothermal Well Field Update at SDF - Louisville Airport

The geothermal well field at Louisville Muhammad Ali Airport in Louisville, Ky. is the largest at any airport in the country. It contains 648 geothermal wells buried 500 feet below ground. (WDRB Image) May 18, 2023

Sinwell said the system will be integrated in phases with different parts of the airport being moved to the new heating and cooling system one at a time.

"It's a huge impact. We're going to save $400,000 on maintenance and energy costs, 40% reduction on energy usage, 80% reduction in our carbon footprint, the life cycle of this process and equipment is much longer," said Sinnwell.

Even though the system itself hasn't been utilized just yet, the concrete above it has. 

"This was great for Derby," said Sinnwell. "We have increased air traffic and we used this for parking for private aircraft," said Sinnwell. 

Geothermal Well Field used for airport parking at SDF - Louisville airport

Nine acres of freshly poured concrete at Louisville Muhammad Ali Airport in Louisville, Ky. was quickly put to use for travelers to Kentucky Derby 149. Dozens of private aircraft were parked in the space above the new geothermal well field as the airport accommodated record-breaking crowds for Derby Week. Image courtesy of Louisville Regional Airport Authority. 

Sinnwell said the concrete was purposely made thick enough to withstand the weight of large aircraft when the well field was built to utilize the space for taxiing during busy travel weeks. 

The geothermal field is the largest at any airport in the country. 

The system will help naturally heat and cool the terminal by circulating water through the geothermal wells underground. This allows the earth to help reduce the energy required to regulate temperatures above ground inside buildings. 

In warmer months, water will flow through pipes in the terminal and absorb heat. That water will then be pumped out to the geothermal wells, where it will naturally cool hundreds of feet below ground, before returning into the terminal and producing cooler air.

In the winter, the process is essentially reversed with cooler water at the surface being pumped and warmed underground before returning to the terminal as hot air.

LOUISVILLE AIRPORT RENOVATIONS - 5-18-2023 (2).jpg

The system will also streamline the maintenance process by reducing the amount of physical labor needed to fix things with more systems being run electronically.

The geothermal well field isn't the only project the airport is working on. 

Inside the terminal, construction is underway in baggage claim after some delays due to supply chain issues, according to airport officials.

Louisville Airport Authority Executive Director Dan Mann said the bathrooms were the first to be completed about six months ago. 

"Now we're going through the baggage belts," he said. "They're also going to be doing the rental car ticket counters. It's about $40 million of work down here."

Mann estimates construction on the lower level will take about 18 months. 

Then construction will head upstairs to the ticket counter and TSA.

An estimated $40 million will be spent upgrading TSA to eight lanes.

Mann said he hopes this will help reduce delays, like the long lines travelers experienced during Derby 149.

"We are maybe two-and-a-half years out from having the checkpoint, maybe three years for the checkpoint, so we're going to have this crunch. Our growth has been so great with new air service, so we're having these issues at the checkpoint. But, even when the checkpoint line looks bad, it's usually around 20-24 minutes so we're still pushing people through fairly quickly. Obviously, when you have big events like Derby or the big golf tournament next year, it'll take longer," explained Mann. 

Mann said the airport will also be upgrading sky lights and adding new furniture and upgraded restrooms to the rest of the terminal.

Another potential upgrade being discussed would be another parking garage. Mann said it's likely it would be built on the east side of the terminal and cost around $50 million to build.  

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