New Delhi, Oct 10 (IANS): Mumbai International Airport has entirely switched to green sources for its energy consumption needs, making it one of India's 100 per cent sustainable airports.
Of the total 100 per cent, Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) procures around 5 per cent of the airport's electricity requirement through its onsite solar generation and the rest 95 per cent from other green sources such as hydro and wind energy.
Ushering into a sustainable future, CSMIA witnessed a rise in natural energy procurement with 57 per cent green consumption in April 2022 to a whopping 98 per cent between May to July. And, finally attained the 100 per cent utilisation of renewable sources of energy in August 2022, said a CSMIA spokesperson.
The spokesperson said that the airport is committed to continuous reduction in energy consumption and carbon footprint through various initiatives. Moreover, CSMIA initially undertook the measure of installing a 1.06MW rooftop solar power plant, which the airport eventually strengthened to 4.66 MW.
CSMIA was the first in India to launch hybrid technology which solely runs on green energy since April 2022, thus enabling a highly efficient and low carbon future for aviation. This sustainable initiative undertaken by CSMIA is part of the airport's efforts that reduce its carbon footprint which propels its journey towards 'Net Zero' emissions, the spokesperson added.
CSMIA implemented a Carbon Accounting and Management System (CAMS) based on ISO 14064-1:2018 to identify, measure & manage GreenHouse Gas (GHG) emissions. CSMIA is the first Indian airport to have participated in Airport Carbon Accreditation (ACA) program of Airports Council International (ACI) in 2012.
Speaking on the occasion, CSMIA's spokesperson said, "We are extremely delighted to achieve this key milestone in our journey towards attaining a sustainable future for CSMIA. The diligent efforts of the airport in undertaking several thoughtful initiatives, has paved the way to achieve this feat. As CSMIA aspires to become net-zero by 2029, this landmark event further encourages us to stay committed to our efforts in enhancing the operational efficiency of the airport while operating on fully renewable energy".