GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd (GHIAL) has commissioned its second 5 megawatt (MW) solar power project and increased its solar capacity to 10 MW. In 2015, GHILA commissioned a 5 MW solar project for its captive consumption. The solar project is spread across 45 acres, with over 30,000 solar panels to generate 10 MW of power. These solar projects of GHIAL have ABB central inverters and polycrystalline photovoltaic modules. With the commissioning of the solar project, GHIAL will reduce its power dependency from Telangana State Electricity Board by 12 million units (MU) annually and save around Rs 9 million every month. The addition of solar power generation will meet the need of 50% energy requirements of Hyderabad airports. It will reduce the carbon footprint of nearly 2.8 million kgs of carbon dioxide, which leads to the conservation of 140,000 trees. GHIAL is committed to green and renewable energy, and the commissioning is a milestone towards a critical step in the right direction. As a part of the sustainable airport operation, many initiatives have been taken to reduce carbon emissions. Airports Council International (ACI) members are committed to attaining net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, CEO of GHIAL, Pradeep Panicker, said. Several airports throughout the country have commissioned solar projects on their premises. The solar projects have been installed in airports of cities like Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram, Tirupati, Calicut, Trichy, and Vijayawada. While some airports are already running on solar power, many have invited bids for installing solar power systems. Airports Authority of India (AAI) has floated tenders for facility management and comprehensive operations and maintenance (O&M) for a 1.5 MW grid rooftop solar project in Chennai airport. AAI also floated tenders for O&M of a 2 MW rooftop solar project in Kolkata International Airport. AAI signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam (NVVN) in 2020 to set up solar facilities at its airports. NVVN also invited bids to assess the potential and feasibility of ground-mounted and rooftop solar power at the airports under the management of AAI. Image Source Also read: SECI’s 1785 MW solar bid gets a good response Also read: NTPC plans to install 60 GW RE capacity by 2032