NEW DELHI: Taking another step towards the vision of a ‘Green India’, Mumbai international airport has become India’s first airport to launch vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT) and solar PV hybrid (solar mill) to explore the possibility of utilising wind energy for consumption purposes at the airport.
The airport introduced the pilot program to ensure round the clock energy generation, harness maximum energy through wind power systems, while also enabling a highly efficient and low carbon future in the aviation sector.
“This sustainable initiative undertaken by the airport aims in reducing dependence on conventional electricity which propels its journey towards ‘net zero’ emissions,” a Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) spokesperson said.
“To assist in enhancing capacity usage of green energy, CSMIA has deployed a 10Kwp hybrid solar mill consisting of 2 Kwp turbo mill (3 Savonius type VAWT) and 8 Kwp solar PV modules, with an estimated minimum energy generation of 36 Kwh/day,” a Mumbai airport official said.
Officials revealed that WindStream Energy Technologies India Pvt Ltd has developed this first-of-its-kind, fully integrated, hybrid renewable energy product which harnesses solar and wind energy, combined, to generate electricity.
The energy generated through this technology can be customised on a need-specific basis. Due to its modular and scalable size, it’s easy to mount the technology on any mobile or static rooftop, officials said.
According to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), wind energy contributed to 27% of the world’s renewable electricity generation capacity as of April 11, 2022.
“It is estimated that the VAWT technology will generate around 13,140 Kwh/annum for 25 years, and will increase renewable energy in the existing energy mix and can reduce carbon emission to about 2,59,515 KgCo2e (kilogram of carbon dioxide equivalent per kilogram),” the Mumbai airport spokesperson said.
“This plant requires bare minimum maintenance of installation, unlike any other machines for electrical supply, where load and batteries are attached to the system,” she said.
In FY 2021-22, CSMIA used 9.41 million units (MU) of renewal (solar and wind) power, which includes onsite solar power generation of 5.46 MU and wind power of around 3.94 MU.
“The usage of solar and wind power has reduced around 7,400 tCO2e emissions at the airport. The CSMIA aims to replicate the project to increase the onsite renewable power generation in the coming years. The airport continues to bring in new and advanced sustainable practices time and again to further boost the operational efficiency of the facility in a greener way, and endeavors to achieve ‘Net Zero’ carbon emission by 2029,” the spokesperson added.