Barcelona metro trials fabric duct cooling system
6th August 2025
SPAIN: A new cooling system using fabric diffusers manufactured by Danish company FabricAir is being trialled on the Barcelona metro.
Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona (TMB) has installed the fabric-based diffusers on the platforms of the Plaça de Sants station in the Sants-Montjuïc district of the city.
This new system on the metro network was born as a pilot test to lower the temperature on the platforms and improve the thermal comfort of the passengers waiting for a train.
The new system consists of two air treatment units located at the ends of the platforms with air filtration and two fans each. These machines, with a capacity of 5,500m3, push the air towards a central tube that runs along the platform and expels the air through evenly spaced holes. In this way, passengers waiting on the platforms receive the moving air and perceive an improvement in thermal comfort.
The installation will be in operation during the summer until October and has been designed taking into account environmental and energy efficiency criteria. The TMB also plans to install the FabricAir system at the Catalunya metro station in the coming days.
