Coming up: Airport terminal using recycled content

Nothing appears green at the dusty construction site of the city airport’s upcoming terminal in Sahar. Soubhik Mitra reports.

Nothing appears green at the dusty construction site of the city airport’s upcoming terminal in Sahar.

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But a closer look at the materials being used to build the X-shaped terminal explains why the airport operator has applied for a green building certification from the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) for the structure.

The integrated terminal that is likely to cater to domestic and international fliers by 2014 is being made of fly ash blocks, eco-friendly wood and the earth dug from the airport land. “The construction material has recycled content and is renewable,” said a Mumbai International Airport Limited spokesperson.

The benefits of planning a green building would also reflect in the terminal’s future power usage. The building’s glass walls and ceiling will allow plenty of natural light to flood the terminal thereby reducing the use of artificial lights during day.

The airport operator is also following the National Building Code to main good indoor air quality. “All the adhesives and sealants proposed to be used in the interiors of the building are in conformance to the Volatile Organic Compound limits to avoid air contamination,” added the spokesperson.

The airport consumes 70 to 80 lakh units of power every month and has been successful in cutting down its annual power bill by 9%. Energy efficient devices such as dry type transformers and variable frequency drives in air conditioning units made a huge difference in reducing the airport’s power need.

Lights inside the terminal are switched off during the day and high-speed air curtains installed at the entry gates prevent hot air from entering the terminals. The temperature inside the terminals is maintained at 23 degree Celsius. Often, air-conditioners at vacant areas and during non-peak hours are switched off.

The airport’s water usage also came down by 19% in 2010-11 owing to fixing of taps with water saving devices such as aerators. Efforts were also made to avoid overflowing of overhead tanks. The airport consumes three to four million litres of water daily.