GMR Hyderabad International Airport marches towards 100 pc LED usage
The replacement of lights was done in a phased manner considering criticality, cost and availability of suitable replacements
Carbon neutral GMR Hyderabad International Airport is taking steady steps towards becoming 100 pc LED friendly. The airport switched all Taxiway Edge Lights with LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes), thus becoming the first airport in south India and second in the country to do so.
GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd. (GHIAL), which operates the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) in Hyderabad, became south India’s first and India’s second airport to convert the entire Taxiway Edge Lights from halogen lamps to energy efficient LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes).
Complementing the recently achieved recognition of being a Carbon Neutral Airport (Level 3 + Neutrality), GHIAL is on its green journey of transforming RGIA into a 100 pc LED Airport, out of which 75 pc of the work has been already completed.
With its mission to move from conventional energy to renewable energy sources for environmental sustenance, the airport had recently commissioned a 5 MW Solar Power Plant for its captive use. While a significant proportion of the airport’s total daytime energy requirement is met by the solar power plant, RGIA has now gone a step ahead by deciding to convert the entire lighting at the airport to LEDs.
The airside, which is the busiest and the most critical area of the airport, has also undergone LED transformation, where close to 500 halogen lamps of Taxiway Edge Lights were converted to LEDs.
The lumen level of these LED lights installed at Taxiway Edges meet the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) requirements. Extensive tests and trials were also carried out after the installation of the LED lights and regular observations were collected from pilots.
Conventional lighting lamps like MV (Mercury Vapour), SV (Sodium Vapour) lamps and FL (Fluorescent Lamp) have chemicals such as lead, phosphorus and mercury, which are hazardous to the environment; while on the other hand, LEDs are environment-friendly, energy-efficient and helps in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Speaking on the initiative, SGK Kishore, CEO, GHIAL said, “GHIAL is committed towards fostering a green culture at RGIA. We have been progressively taking steps to transform our airport into a truly green airport. Migration to LED has been a strategic decision for environment sustenance with the objective of reducing carbon emissions and promoting energy efficiency. Very soon we will become 100 pc LED lit airport. At the same time, initiatives such as the 5 MW Solar Power Plant helps us to meet a significant amount of airport’s energy requirement using renewable means. Our pro-active environmentally sensitive measures have helped us to earn the coveted Level 3+ Carbon Neutrality recognition from ACI. We are proactively contributing towards building a cleaner and greener future.”
Furthermore, the environment-friendly design of Hyderabad Airport allows maximum natural lighting and other features enable optimal use of energy and water. Their design won the U.S. Green Building Council ‘Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design’ (LEED) – silver level certification, which makes Hyderabad Airport the first airport in Asia to receive such recognition.
Other energy efficient and environment friendly infrastructure elements at the airport include energy efficient Bridge Mounted Equipment (BMEs), advanced fuel hydrant systems, Fixed Electric Ground Power Units (FEGP) and battery operated vehicles, acoustic enclosures to the DG sets, online continuous environmental monitoring stations to monitor ambient air, ambient noise and weather parameters, among others.
