According to airport operator Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL), Delhi's Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport has transitioned to hydro and solar power electricity as of June 1, making it the country's first airport to be totally powered by renewable energy.
Since June 1, about 6% of the airport's electrical needs have been satisfied by on-site solar power plants, with a hydroelectric plant providing the other 94% of the energy, according to the statement.
According to the operator, switching to renewable energy should enable the airport to cut its annual energy emissions by 2 lakh tonnes of carbon dioxide. The airport had stated its intention to become a Net Zero Carbon Emission Airport by the year 2030 last year in November.
Green buildings, green transportation options like electric cars, increasing operational effectiveness to cut emissions, and management of greenhouse gases (GHG) as part of the Airport Council International's (ACI) Airport Carbon Accreditation are some of the additional green initiatives at the airport.
The Delhi airport achieved "Level 4+" under ACI's airport carbon accreditation scheme in 2020, making it the first in the Asia-Pacific region.
The airport features a 7.84 MW solar power plant on the airside, and as part of a stakeholder engagement, it recently constructed a second 5.3 MW rooftop solar power plant at the cargo terminal.
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. To achieve this, DIAL adopted a green transportation program recently, and now achieved another milestone of the green energy program for IGI airport. Delhi airport has been using solar power for a long time and it is now fulfilling its major electricity needs from a hydropower plant. Running Delhi airport completely on renewable sources of energy is indeed a major milestone achieved by DIAL,” said CEO Videh Kumar Jaipuriar.