GMR Hyderabad Airport Saves Rs 10 Cr By Employing Solar Power

As per GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd (GHIAL), it has saved Rs 10 crore in the last one year since it has employed solar power to power airport operations.

According to the information tendered, GHIAL owns solar power capacities totaling 10 MW. The entity had commissioned a 5 MW solar power plant meant for the captive consumption of the airport. In 2021, GHIAL expanded this solar capacity to 10 MW.

GHIAL said that the facility sprawls out to over 45 acres and has more than 30,000 solar power panels in place, sufficient  to generate 10 MW of electricity. The solar power facility is fitted with advanced ABB central inverters and polycrystalline PV panels.  They are said to be of superior quality than the mono-crystalline solar panels.

Pradeep Panicker, CEO, GHIAL said, “As a sustainable airport operator, we have rolled out many initiatives to actively reduce the carbon emissions. As a member airport of the Airports Council International, we are aiming to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050.”

GHIAL had held last year that commissioning of the additional capacity of 5 MW would help the airport minimise its power dependency on the Telangana State Electricity Board by as much as 12 million units every year. This, in turn, would also facilitate savings of about Rs 90 lakh per month.

Solarisation Of Airports

India holds a good record when it comes to operating its airports on renewable energy. Recently, the Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) made headlines when it became the world’s first airport completely powered by solar energy. Subsequently, it also became power-positive following the commissioning of a new solar power plant near Payyannur in Kannur, Kerala. The authorities hold that through the first phase of solarisation itself, in the next 25 years, this project would have avoided 300,000 tons of CO2, which is equivalent to planting 3 million trees.

The Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI) in Delhi became the first airport in India operated through a combination of hydro and solar energy. Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL), which operates the IGI airport, had said in November, 2021, that the airport will have net-zero carbon emission by 2030.