DIAL triples solar power plant capacity at IGIA

Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL), a GMR led Consortium, on Tuesday announced that it has enhanced the solar power generating capacity at the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA).

DIAL in 2014 had set up India’s first solar power plant at the IGI Airport that becomes the first airport in the world to be registered under Clean Development Mechanism of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Keeping in view the growing concerns about climate change and rising need for green energy sources, DIAL has expanded the current capacity of solar power generation at the IGI Airport from 2.14 MW to 7.84 MW thus making the airport largely dependent on green energy.

The power generated through the solar power plant at IGI Airport significantly supports the requirements of airport operations. 

Commenting on the development, I Prabhakara Rao, CEO, Delhi International (P) Limited (DIAL) said: “At Delhi Airport we strongly believe that the collaborative approach is the key strategic element for combating climate change. As part of our extensive sustainability strategy, we have taken various efficiency measures at Delhi Airport. These include green infrastructure such as LEED-NC Gold Certification, Solar Power Generation, successful registration on energy efficiency with UNFCCC, Clean Development Mechanism, Water and Waste Management initiatives. The successful execution and expansion of solar power plant would not have been possible without the support of our concessioners and stakeholders.”

“Aligning with the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to harness solar energy to fight climate change, we aim to increase our solar power generation capacity to 20 MW by 2020,” he added. The solar power project has been executed at the Airside of the IGI Airport after achieving all requisite safety clearances. 

The green field area of the Airside has been utilized without hindering and compromising the operations safety. The non-reflective PV solar panels are installed at the plant in a bid to reduce glare effect. 

DIAL has carried out computer aided solar glare analysis for 365 days with complete sun movement from sun rise to sun set to ensure that there is no impact on flight movement. Solar Plant at the IGI Airport is one of the very few solar plants to harness land parcel at the Airside, which is normally locked under various statutory rules and regulations.