Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) on Sunday commissioned one of the biggest floating solar power plants in the State with a capacity of 452 KWh. The project is part of the company’s efforts to sustain the power-positive airport by using green energy.
With the new installation going on stream, the total installed capacity of the airport has gone up to 40 MWp, helping it generate around 1.60 lakh units of power a day, said a communication here. The daily consumption stands around at 1.30 lakh units.
Interestingly, CIAL’s tryst with experiments in generating green energy achieved yet another milestone with the installation, as the company has introduced cost-effective high-density polyethylene floats using French technology. A total of 1,300 photovoltaic panels were mounted and laid over two artificial lakes located in the 130-acre CIAL golf course.
The plants covering a total area of one acre are connected to the KSEB grid which is to be banked on when needed.
Pre-commissioning trials showed that the panels which cost around ₹2 crore generated power with maximum output efficiency among the eight solar power plants installed by CIAL on the airport premises.
V.J. Kurien, founder managing director, CIAL, attributed the success of the plant to the company’s relentless efforts to bring in new technologies and its working philosophy which is at par with global standards.
“CIAL has been reinventing itself since its formative days. One of our innovations which proved that relying upon green energy is possible even for high energy consumers like an airport has won us the Champions of the Earth Award instituted by the United Nations. We are committed to the protection of nature and are trying our best to reduce carbon footprint,” Mr. Kurien was cited as saying in the communication.
CIAL had successfully executed the idea of Total Sustainability Management in its golf course where treated water from the sewage treatment plant of the airport is used for water harvesting with the help of 12 artificial lakes. Water from the lakes are used for irrigating the golf course lawns.
CIAL aims to become the second largest power producer in the State after KSEB. Work on a 12-MWp plant is under way at Payyannur in Kannur, the communication added.