Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport, Kolkata, has received sanction for a 2 megawatt peak solar project.
But besides the project, Airports Authority of India has also identified 50 to 60 acres on which a 15 megawatt solar farm could be set up.
The plant would be able to meet 25 percent of the energy requirement of the airport, The Times of India reports. It is expected to cost Rs 90 crore.
In terms of power generation, the 15 MW facility will produce 225 lakh units annually save Rs18 crore each year in electricity charges. Currently, the airport spends Rs 72 crore a year on electricity bill.
The 2MWp project currently sanctioned is to be developed as a rooftop installation at the old terminal and associated facilities by March 31, 2016. It will form part of the 50MW target the ministry of renewable energy has set for airports by the end of this fiscal.
“Kolkata airport has land to meet safety requirements but it does not have productive use at present. We want to utilize this land for solar farming,” Kolkata airport director A K Sharma told ToI.
Cochin International Airport has launched a 12 MWp solar project that is to meet its entire power requirements.
Ajith Kumar S