The Union Minister of Civil Aviation Ashok Gajapathi Raju has reviewed the progress of energy and water conservation measures at Airports Authority of India (AAI) airports across the country, at a review meeting attended by Minister of State Jayant Sinha and secretary of the department, besides chairperson of AAI and other senior officers. Airport directors of 12 key airports also attended the deliberations.
During the meeting, the airport director, Jaipur dwelled on the energy conservation measures recently undertaken at the airport. These include use of LED lighting, installation of air-conditioning equipment, provision of energy efficient pumps and motors, a roof top solar power plant of 1 MW capacity and a 1.8 MW ground-based solar power plant under implementation.
AAI has already installed solar power plants at 16 airports with a total capacity of 5.4 MW. So far, 51 lakh energy units have been generated from these plants leading to a reduction of 4,600 metric tonnes in carbon emissions. By December 2016, additional 24.1 MW of solar power plants will become operational at 11 more airports. The perspective plan of AAI targets augmenting the solar power generation to 116 MW by including 16 more airports.
The status and scope of water conservation, water-recycling and sewage treatment plants at the airports was also deliberated upon. AAI is already using re-cycled water for horticulture, fire-fighting and air-conditioning requirements at several airports. Raju directed AAI chairman to provide similar infrastructure at all airports under his jurisdiction.
Raju appreciated the efforts of AAI and conveyed, “Not only our airports be self-sufficient in energy and water requirements, but we should now look at feeding power to the national grid as we have sufficient open spaces available.” He also directed that an airport-wise action plan on both energy and water conservation should be developed by AAI within one month.
