The Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI) in Delhi is set to become the first such facility in India to run on a combination of hydro and solar power. This switch from June 1 has made IGI the country’s second airport to run only on renewable energy.
In 2015, Kerala’s Cochin International Airport became the world’s first to run totally on solar energy.
Delhi airport’s green energy target
IGI’s operator, Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL), had last November set a target of 2030 to go net-zero carbon emission.
As of now, it sources a major chunk of its energy needs through the hydro route.
Since June 1, around 6% of its requirement was being met from onsite solar power plants. The airport now has a 7.84 MW solar power plant on the airside and added another 5.3 MW at the cargo terminal.
“The solar plants are on the airside and roofs of the cargo terminals of the IGI airport. For hydropower, DIAL has signed a long-term power purchase agreement (PPA) with a Himachal Pradesh-based hydropower producing company for the supply of hydroelectricity to the airport until 2036,” said a DIAL spokesperson.
Airports around the world to go green
IGI’s switch has followed a global trend. Last October, the global air trade body, International Air Transport Association (IATA) approved a resolution for the air transport industry to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
“This commitment will align with the Paris Agreement goal for global warming not to exceed 1.5°C,” IATA said.
IGI is on its way to achieving the said target much before the global deadline. “To achieve this, DIAL had adopted a green transportation programme recently,” said DIAL CEO Videh Kumar Jaipuriar.