The Kempegowda International Airport is aiming to meet 40% of its power needs through clean energy by next year.
This comes against the backdrop of Kerala’s Cochin airport becoming the first airport in the world to run fully on solar power in August this year.
Mint reports that Bangalore International Airport Ltd (BIAL) - the company responsible for running the airport - is currently evaluating bids from companies, which will harness solar power by building solar panels alongside the runway and at the car park.
The Ministry of New & Renewable Energy in India had earlier targeted solar power capacity of 100 GW by 2022, and this move is going to help the cause.
The report also says BIAL is looking to generate 14.6 MW of solar power compared to the Kerala airport which commissioned a 12 megawatt solar project in August.
An official associated with Green Power Market Development Group (India) at World Resources Institute – an environmental research institute - is quoted in the report as saying, “Having suitable weather conditions to harness solar power, going green could yield economic and environmental benefits for the airport.”
“Renewable energy has huge environmental benefits and BIAL will continue to invest in accelerating its development. As part of its green strategy, BIAL embarked on adopting renewable energy for the airport operations in early 2015. These projects have been tendered out and the bids are currently under evaluation and are expected to be awarded shortly. The projects are expected to be completed in early 2016,” airport authorities told Mint in an email.
Cochin International Airport Ltd director A.C.K. Nair told Mint that he doubts if buying 20 million units of solar power from the open market will be viable, adding “We didn’t go for open access route because it requires a large extent of land and there is a shortage of suppliers and the cost is high. But it has a positive side.”