Delhi IGI Airport India’s first to run entirely on Solar and hydro power
Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) in Delhi has become the first airport in India to meet its total energy requirement from hydro and solar electricity after switching to renewable energy sources.
The Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) in Delhi has become the first airport in India to function solely on hydro and solar power after switching to renewable energy sources.Delhi Airport has been using solar energy for many years and now obtains its major electricity needs from a hydropower plant.
The switching over to renewables will contribute to a 2 lakh tonnes CO2 reduction in energy emissions per year, a significant step toward reaching Net Zero Carbon Emission Airport by 2030.
The onsite solar power plants on the airside and rooftops of the IGI Airport’s cargo facilities were meeting around 6% of the airport’s electricity needs. Beginning June 1, 2022, Delhi Airport will use renewable energy from the hydropower project to provide the remaining 94% of its demand. This initiative will end its reliance on non-renewable electricity as well as assisting in reducing indirect energy emissions by 200,000 tonnes of CO2 per year.
For this purpose, GMR Infrastructure Limited (GIL) that manages and operates the Delhi Airport, 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.
DIAL also has a 7.84 MW solar power plant on the airside, and as part of stakeholder participation, the Cargo terminal operators at Delhi Airport have constructed a 5.3 MW rooftop solar power plant.
In a relentless effort towards environmental sustainability, DIAL has set the target of making Delhi Airport a zero-carbon airport by 2030, far ahead of the global goal of 2050. We’ve been working on a Green Transportation Program at DIAL and now we’ve reached another milestone by implementing the Green Energy Program,” said Videh Kumar Jaipuriar, CEO-DIAL.
As a part of its Green Transportation Program, DIAL has begun to phase out diesel and petrol vehicles. DIAL plans to procure 62 electric vehicles in the first phase that will join the fleet in 3 to 4 months.
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