KOCHI: The Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL), which has many firsts to its credit - pioneering the PPP-model in building airport and introducing a path-breaking rehabilitation package for evictees, has added another feather to its cap by becoming the first solar powered airport in the world.
Chief Minister Oommen Chandy inaugurated the 12-mwp solar power plant, comprising 46,150 solar panels laid across a 45-acre area near the cargo complex, on Tuesday.
With the commissioning of the new solar power station, the Kochi airport will have 50,000-60,000 units/day of electricity for its operational functions, which technically makes it ‘absolutely power neutral’.
According to authorities, the CIAL ventured into the solar PV sector in March 2013, by installing a 100-kwp solar PV plant on the rooftop of the arrival terminal block.
It was a trend-setter in the field of grid-connected solar PV in the State. The plant, which was set up by Kolkata-based Vikram Solar Pvt Ltd, has around 400 polycrystalline modules of 250wp. It is a grid-connected system without any battery storage.
After the successful commissioning of the first plant, CIAL installed a 1-mwp solar PV power plant - partly on the rooftop and partly on the ground - in the Aircraft Maintenance Hangar on its premises. The plant was installed by Emvee Photovoltaic Power, using 4,000 mono-crystalline modules of 250wp, making it the first MW-scale installation of Solar PV system in the State.
Both the plants are equipped with SCADA systems, which facilitate remote monitoring. After commissioning, the plants have so far saved more than 550MT of CO2 emission, contributing to CIAL’s efforts to minimise environmental pollution. “Over the next 25 years, CIAL’s green power project is expected to save carbon dioxide emissions at coal-fired power plants by more than 3 lakh metric tonnes, which is equivalent to planting 30 lakh trees or not driving 750 million miles,” said the CIAL authorities.
The new 12mwp solar PV plant is expected to generate around 48,000 units per day. This, along with the power generated at the existing 1.10mwp plants, will be sufficient to meet the power requirement of the airport. The project was completed by Bosch Ltd at a cost of `62 crore.