Jharkhand

• 27 Aug 2021

Airports to be Powered by Solar Power

Why in News

• Recently, Jharkhand Renewable Energy Development Agency (JREDA) director K.K. Verma informed that the Birsa Munda airport in Ranchi and four other upcoming airports in the state will be powered by solar energy under the Green Initiative of the government.

Key Points

• Apart from Ranchi, the airports of Dumka, Deoghar, Bokaro and Giridih will be covered under the green initiative. The state government has allocated Rs 20 crore for this project and has set a target to complete it in six months.
• After completion of the project each of the five airports equipped with solar panels will generate 600 kW of electricity per day. This initiative will not only make airports self-sufficient in terms of energy generation, but will also illuminate some residential areas with solar energy.
• Birsa Munda Airport is currently the only fully-operated airport in Jharkhand, remaining four airports are likely to start operations within a year.
• It is worth mentioning that the state government has approved the expansion plan of Ranchi airport and signed an MoU with AAI for expansion of the airport in more than 300 acres.
• It is noteworthy that Puducherry airport in Tamil Nadu became the first fully solar powered airport in the country in 2020 under the Airports Authority of India (AAI). In addition, it is claimed that the Cochin International Airport (Kerala), is the world's first solar powered airport to run in a public-private partnership mode.