The Mumbai International Airport’s one-of-its-kind pilot project consists of wind turbines and solar mills
Mumbai Airport launches the first one-of-its-kind wind turbine and solar mill. Pic/CSMIA
Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) is the first airport in India to launch a one-of-its-kind renewable hybrid power generation project. The launch of Vertical Axis Wind Turbine (VAWT) and Solar PV hybrid (Solar Mill) is to explore the possibility of utilisation of wind energy at the airport. This initiative is in collaboration with WindStream Energy Technologies India Pvt Ltd, which ensures 24/7 energy generation and harnesses maximum energy through wind power systems while enabling a highly efficient and low carbon future for aviation.
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“This fully integrated, hybrid renewable energy product harnesses solar and wind energy combined to generate electricity. The energy generated through this technology can be customised on a need-specific basis. Due to its modular and scalable size, it’s easy to mount the technology on any mobile or static rooftop. This technology is a vital step in deploying a solution at the airport that is renewable, clean, green, environment-friendly, bird-friendly, and a silent solution with a 25-year design life,” the airport authority's statement stated.
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According to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), wind energy contributes 27 per cent of the world’s renewable electricity generation capacity as of April 2022. The VAWT technology can reduce carbon emission to about 259515 KgCo2e (Kilogram of carbon dioxide equivalent per kilogram). This plant at the airport requires bare minimum maintenance of installation, unlike any other machines for electrical supply, where load & batteries are attached to the system.
In FY 21-22, CSMIA used 9.41 MU (million units) of renewal (solar and wind) power, which includes onsite solar power generation of 5.46 MU and wind power of around 3.94 MU. Thus, usage of solar and wind power has reduced to 7400 CO2e emissions at the airport. CSMIA aims to replicate the project to increase onsite renewable power generation in the coming year. The airport aims to achieve net zero carbon emission by 2029.