Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL), the world’s first all-solar airport, plans to double its installed solar capacity within the next five to ten years. This projected increase was announced by the airport’s managing director, S. Suhas.
Located in the southern Indian state of Kerala, Cochin International is hailed as a leader in utilizing renewable energy. The airport currently boasts an installed solar capacity of 50 MWp, which comes from various solar power plants in and around the airport.
The airport’s primary solar plant, which is a massive 12 megawatt (p) installation, can be found near the cargo complex. Other smaller plants across the airport compound make up the reminder of the capacity.
In his statement, Suhas remarked that CIAL has always been committed to green and sustainable energy. He declared they are now considering ways to increase the authority’s investment in green power, which will likely result in the doubling of their solar capacity. This move will be in line with the ambitious global goal of carbon neutrality by 2050.
Cochin International hit the headlines in 2015 as the world’s first airport to run entirely on solar power. They achieved this feat following their first solar power project of just 100 kilowatts. Due to the firm’s innovative approach, they managed to scale up their operations to the current 40 megawatts.
This significant development was reached within a span of ten years, demonstrating the airport’s firm commitment to green power. Notably, the airport has been saving over 100,000 metric tons of carbon emissions thanks to its solar power plants, which is equivalent to planting 3 million trees.
Given its impressive record in clean energy, Cochin International Airport continues to be a torchbearer in renewable energy use. This latest announcement reaffirms their commitment and provides a roadmap to the ambitious and achievable goal of doubling their solar capacity in less than a decade.
Cochin Airport’s innovative and successful use of solar energy serves as an inspiration to other institutions around the world. It confirms that green and renewable energy is not only good for the environment but also stands as economically viable and sustainable in the long term.
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