A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) recently, with a subsidiary of National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) to promote usage of electric vehicles as well as set up solar power plants at its airports. To set up solar power plants, adequate land and rooftop space at identified AAI airports will be provided to NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam (NVVN), a subsidiary of NTPC, free of cost, according to a PTI report. Over 100 airports are owned and managed by AAI across India. While the airports located in Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Mangaluru and Lucknow are not managed by the AAI but by private companies.
According to AAI, in the initial phase of this plan, NVVN will be taking up the projects at airports in the states of Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan. It further mentioned that the solar capacity required at airports in Tamil Nadu is around 55 MW and in Rajasthan, it is nearly 8 MW, to become 100 per cent solar powered airports. At present, the airports of AAI in Tamil Nadu have solar power plants with capacity of 3.5 MWp (Mega watt peak). AAI further stated that solar energy of 12 MW is being purchased through open access for the Chennai airport.
According to the report, the AAI and NVVN will also jointly work towards supporting the Modi government’s initiatives for the adoption of electric vehicles by development of public charging infrastructure as well as promoting usage of electric vehicles at airports in India. AAI stated that for the adoption of electric vehicles on city side and air side at various airports across the country and provision of electric vehicle charging stations, a plan will be developed. The MoU to promote usage of electric vehicles and set up solar power plants was signed recently in the presence of top officials from the AAI, NVVN as well as NTPC, the report added.
