Cochin International Airport Ltd’s initiative to utilise solar power will take off shortly.
Installation of 400 solar panels have been completed and the project is in the final stages. CIAL has submitted the documents to the Kerala State Electrical Inspectorate for approval.
On getting approval, energy production will commence and CIAL will be able to use solar energy.
The Rs 98 lakh project is being executed by Vikram Solar P Ltd, Kolkata, who supplied the panels and are responsible for the installation. They are also responsible for its maintenance and upkeep for the next 10 years.
The project has a subsidy of 30 per cent under the Jawaharlal Nehru Solar Mission of MNRE and CIAL’s expenditure is only Rs 63 lakh , airport officials said. This is a pilot project of 100 KW capacity. There are 400 solar panels made of poly crystalline silicon, each of which has the capacity to produce 250 watts. The combined per day production would be nearly 450 units in the present climatic conditions of Kerala. Power from the solar panels will be connected to the grid and will predominantly be used for the air conditioning plant.
Based on the success of the pilot project, the officials said tendering process is on the way for the 1 MW solar power unit.
With the commissioning of the pilot unit, CIAL would be among India’s first international airport to use solar energy for its power requirements.