KOCHI: Marking the start of another era in sustainable development, the Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) — which runs the world’s first fully solar-powered airport in Kochi — is set to commission its new solar power plant at Payyannur. With this, CIAL progresses from a power neutral airport to a power positive airport.
The 12 megawatt-peak (MWp) Payyannur plant — at Ettukudukka — is slated to be dedicated to the nation by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on March 6. With the commissioning of the new plant, CIAL’s cumulative installed solar plant capacity will be scaled up to 50MWp. That includes seven plants functioning on the Kochi airport premises, and a solar carport. CIAL’s solar power plants will together generate 2 lakh units of power a day, whereas the airport’s daily power consumption stands at 1.6 lakh units.
