Cochi: The Cochin International Airport Ltd (CIAL) here achieved another milestone by generating over 25 crore units of green power from various solar PV installations at the airport till date, offsetting 1,60,000 metric tons of carbon emission.
CIAL is the world's first airport fully powered by solar energy.
According to the Airport Authority, the CIAL has achieved a cumulative production volume of 25 crore units of solar energy on Saturday apart from the 75 lakh units generated through its Small Hydro Electric Project at Arippara.
Managing Director of CIAL, S Suhas, said the development policy of the airport authority encompasses Total Sustainability Management (TSM) and attempts to explore every possible way to address climate change. ''We try to explore every possible way to address climate change. CIAL which achieved power neutrality in 2015 now becomes a power surplus organisation, feeding approximately four crore units of excess power annually to the State grid,'' Suhas said in a release.
CIAL, which started its solar initiatives in 2013 with a 100kWp Pilot Plant, now has a total installed solar capacity of 50 MWp.
In 2015, CIAL attained the status as World's first airport to be fully powered by solar energy with an installed capacity of 13.1MWp.
Together with its 4.5 MW Hydroelectric power project at Arippara, CIAL is now the second largest power producer in Kerala after KSEB, the airport authority said.
It said the agro-photovoltaic activities, utilising the vacant spaces between the solar panels in the solar plant, CIAL has so far produced approximately 90 metric tonnes of pesticide-free vegetables. —PTI