Kochi set to become first airport operating on solar power

Kerala chief minister Oommen Chandy will inaugurate CIAL's green initiative--a 12MWp solar power project set up on the premises of the airport on August 18.

Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) is all set to become the first airport in the country which would be operating on solar power, CIAL official said on Thursday.

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Kerala chief minister Oommen Chandy will inaugurate CIAL's green initiative--a 12MWp solar power project set up on the premises of the airport on August 18, airport managing director VJ Kurien told reporters in Kochi.

When the photovoltaics (PV) panels laid across 45 acres near cargo complex become functional, Cochin airport will have 50,000 to 60,000 units of electricity per day to be consumed for all its operational functions, which will technically make the airport "absolutely power neutral".

CIAL, which has adorned many firsts in its cap, like being the pioneer in PPP model in building an airport to introducing a path-breaking rehabilitation package for evictees, has ventured into the Solar PV sector during March 2013, by installing a 100 kWp solar PV Plant on the roof top of the Arrival Terminal Block.

This was a trend setter in the field of grid-connected solar PV in the state of Kerala. After the successful commissioning of this plant, CIAL installed a 1 MWp solar PV power plant partly on the roof top and partly on the ground in the Aircraft Maintenance Hangar facility within the Airport premises.