Delhi Airport – India’s IGI Becomes 1st Airport To Function Entirely On Hydro And Solar Power

Mad4Nature By Nalin Kashyap | 2 min read

Delhi Airport, ranked the world’s second busiest airport, has also become the first to run completely on solar and hydropower. This is a step toward moving Delhi airport into a net-zero carbon emission airport by 2030, which means energy emission of 2 lakh tonnes CO2 per year is saved. In 2015, Cochin Airport became the first airport in the country to run entirely on solar energy.

“This move will help the Delhi airport in the reduction of indirect energy emissions of up to 200,000 tonnes of CO2 every year. DIAL has signed a long-term power purchase agreement with a Himachal Pradesh-based hydropower producing company for the supply of hydroelectricity for the airport until 2036,” said DIAL (Delhi International Airport Limited)

What Is It All About?

Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL), a subsidiary of GMR Infrastructure Limited, has signed a long-term power purchase agreement (PPA) with Himachal Pradesh-based power utility company to provide hydropower at the airport until the year 2036.

Delhi airport
Source – Pixahive

According to DIAL, about 6% of the electricity demand at Delhi airport is attained by solar power plants. The airport has embraced the use of renewable energy through the hydropower industry to meet the demand for the remaining 94%, thus eliminating its dependence on non-renewable energy.

How Delhi Airport Achieved This Significant Milestone

Delhi Airport has long used solar energy and is now meeting its huge electricity needs from the hydroelectric power plant. Running the airport entirely on renewable energy sources is truly a milestone. 

As part of the environmental sustainability program, DIAL launched TaxiBots at IGI airport in 2019, which helped reduce the fuel consumption by airplanes during taxi travel, as well as similarly reduce carbon emissions. With the green transport system, DIAL has begun the adoption of electric vehicles. It plans to add 62 electric vehicles in the next three to four months

IGI Terminal 3
Source – Instagram

The Delhi airport has a 7.84 MW solar power plant on the airside, while it added another 5.3 MW rooftop solar power plant at the cargo terminal recently as part of stakeholder collaboration.

Other environmental initiatives at the Delhi airport include green buildings, green transport systems such as electric vehicles, improved efficiency to reduce pollution, and greenhouse gas (GHG) control as part of Airport Council International’s (ACI) Airport Carbon Accreditation.

Here are five things that made Delhi Airport so sustainable:

1. It has an electric vehicle charging station (EV), a sanitation center (STP), a water treatment plant (WTP), energy-efficient lighting systems, and improved plumbing systems.

2. DIAL launched TaxiBots at the airport in 2019. TaxiBot is a robot car used to transport a plane to the runway. It helps to reduce the fuel consumption of aircraft turbines used by airplanes during taxi travel.

3. The airport has a Green Transport System and has started using EVs and has gradually evacuated petrol and diesel vehicles.

4. The airport operates in a non-recyclable plastic zone.

5. The first carbon-neutral airport in the Asia Pacific region in 2016.

This move by Delhi Airport is an attempt to make this planet cleaner and greener together. 

Sources of Information – Hindustan Times and The Economic Times

To know more about Delhi Airport, please check – Twitter, the Website

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4 Replies to “Delhi Airport – India’s IGI Becomes 1st Airport To Function Entirely On Hydro And Solar Power”

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