Delhi has also secured the first position in ‘Level 4+’ under the Airports Council International’s (ACI) Airport Carbon Accreditation program in the region of Asia-Pacific
Taking another step toward green energy, Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International (IG) airport becomes the nation’s first airport to run entirely on the combination of hydro and solar power. This move will help in reducing the emissions of two lakh tonnes of carbon dioxide every year. Delhi has also secured the first position in ‘Level 4+’ under the Airports Council International’s (ACI) Airport Carbon Accreditation program in the region of Asia-Pacific.
As per Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) authorities, approximately six per cent of the airport’s electricity requirement is received from on-site solar power plants whereas the remaining 94 per cent is sourced from hydropower plants. A 7.84 MW solar power plant is placed on the airside. Another 5.3 MW rooftop solar power plant is placed at the cargo terminal, as part of stakeholder collaboration.
Delhi International Airport Ltd has made a long-term contract with a power purchase agreement (PPA) with Himachal Pradesh’s hydropower producing company. The contract for the supply of hydroelectricity for the airport has been made until 2036. The airport aims to be a Net Zero Carbon Emission Airport by 2030.
There are other green initiatives started by the airport. They are green buildings, green transportation measures like electric vehicles, operational efficiency to lessen emissions, and greenhouse gases (GHG) management. All these are part of the Airport Council International’s Airport Carbon Accreditation.
DIAL introduced TaxiBots, a vehicle that allows aircraft in taxiing without turning on their engines in 2019. This further helped in reducing carbon emissions. On World Environment Day, it planned to add 62 electric vehicles to help in phasing out all the diesel and petrol-run vehicles.