Delhi Airport has become India's first airport to move to green energy and now runs entirely on hydro and solar power since June 1, the airport operator GMR Group said. The transition will help in the reduction of energy emissions of 2 lakh tonne of carbon dioxide per year.
Currently, the airport sources approximately 6 percent of its electricity requirement is met from onsite solar power plants and the remaining 94 percent of its demand is via hydropower plants.
The solar power plants are on the airside and on the roofs of the cargo terminals of the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport.
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For hydropower, Delhi International Airport Ltd has signed a long-term power purchase agreement (PPA) with Himachal Pradesh-based hydropower producing company for the supply of hydroelectricity for the airport until 2036, GMR Group said.
The airport has targeted to become a Net Zero Carbon Emission Airport by 2030.
Besides, DIAL has a 7.84 MW solar power plant on the airside, whereas as part of stakeholder collaboration, operators of the cargo terminals at Delhi Airport have added another 5.3 MW rooftop solar power plant.
"DIAL has been working relentlessly towards environmental sustainability and has set its target to make Delhi Airport a Net Zero Carbon Emission airport by 2030, way ahead of the global target of 2050," said DIAL CEO Videh Kumar Jaipuriar.
Delhi airport had also introduced TaxiBots at the IGI Airport in 2019 to reduce the consumption of fuel by an aircraft during taxiing.
The airport also said it has initiated the adoption of electric vehicles and is phasing out all the diesel and petrol-run in a staggered manner. In the first phase, the Delhi Airport will procure 62 electric vehicles that would join the fleet in 3 to 4 months.
