By Business India Editorial

The Airport Authority of India (AAI) has given the target to most of the airports to achieve 100 per cent use of Green Energy by 2024 and Net Zero by 2030. 

Currently Mumbai, Cochin and 25 other AAI Airports are using 100 per cent green energy. Cochin Airport is the first green airport in the world, fully powered by solar energy.

The 25 airports include Puducherry, Kanpur (Civil), Hubballi, Belagavi, Mysore, Tezu, Kangra, Shimla, Kullu, Jammu, Srinagar, Leh, Imphal, Pakyong, Pantnagar, Dehradun, Dimapur, Jalgaon, Kohlapur, Pune, Aurangabad, Gondia, Akola, Sholapur and Juhu. 

As per the officials, AAI has given targets to achieve 100 per cent Green Energy at its remaining operational airports by 2024. The Airports Council International (ACI) has launched the Airport Carbon Accreditation programme, which is a global standard for carbon management at airports. 

The programme helps airports to assess their carbon emissions, develop a carbon management plan, and reduce their carbon footprint. Delhi and Mumbai airports, the top two major airports in the country, have achieved the highest Level 4+ Carbon Accreditation of ACI. 

As on date, there are only three airports in Asia-Pacific that have achieved this feat. Hyderabad and Bengaluru have also achieved the status of being Carbon Neutral (Level 3+). 

Officials said that AAI at Kolkata, Bhubaneswar and Varanasi Airports has achieved Level 2 Airport Carbon accreditation in December 2019 and is in process of ACI-ACA Level 2 certification for 23 more airports. 

AAI has already installed Solar Power Plants at various airports with cumulative capacity of more than 54 MWp as on date. AAI is also procuring around 53 million units of solar energy through open access and green power tariff, thus enhancing Renewable Energy share as on date to about 35 percent of total electrical consumption of AAI airports.

The AAI has chalked out the plan for its scheduled operational airports and has taken initiatives such as Energy Intensity Data publication, reducing energy intensity for existing as well as upcoming airport projects. A training module has been created as a part of an induction training programme for Air Traffic Controllers to sensitise them towards Carbon Neutrality.