India, June 20 -- Raja Bhoj Airport is all set to become the first airport in Madhya Pradesh to use solar power for running its utility grid system. The solar power plant is expected to be made operational from June 30.
A solar power plant will be installed at the airport at Gandhinagar to save electricity cost and utilise renewable energy sources.
The tender for installing the plant has been awarded to a Baroda-based solar module manufacturing company WAA Solar.
Initially, a 100 kilowatt solar power plant is being installed. According to sources, Bhopal airport authority is also chalking out a plan to install a 2 megawatt solar power plant at the airport in future.
Sources said that the airport authority has also sent a detailed project report of 2 megawatt solar power plant to Airport Authority of Indiaand New and Renewable Energy Ministry of India.
If this proposal gets approved, Raja Bhoj Airport would be the first airport in the country to completely use solar power for running its utility grid system, sources said.
Assistant general manager (electrical engineering), Bhopal airport,Ramji Awasthi said, "The testing of solar plant has been done and it was successful. The plant would start energy production by the end of this month."
He said that the energy production has been estimated at 1,26,000 units per year.
"This is less as per our requirement but we will use it during day time as there is less consumption of power during the day. On an average, there is a need of 700-800 kilowatt power during the night," he told HT.
On an average, 36,00,000 units of electricity are being consumed per year at Raja Bhoj Airport and the authority has to spend a huge sum against electricity consumption.
"We are also planning to increase the energy production capacity of the plant in near future. We have sent our proposal to Airport Authority of India and the ministry concerned.
Once the proposal gets approved, the power supply at the airport would be made through the solar plant," said Awasthi. If the solar power plant is successful, the authority plans to install solar powerplants at all airports in the state.
Published by HT Syndication with permission from Hindustan Time