Question

Which one is the first fully solar powered airport in the world?

• A. Cochin International Airport, India
• B. Vienna Airport, Austria
• C. Changi Airport, Singapore
• D. Denver International airport, USA.

Hint:

Cochin International Airport (CIAL) is also famous for being India's first airport built under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model.
Its fully solar-powered status is a globally recognized sustainable development milestone.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Step 1: Understanding the Question:
The question asks to identify the very first airport in the world to operate entirely on solar power.

Step 2: Key Concepts and Renewable Energy Milestones:
Transitioning public infrastructure to renewable energy is key to sustainable development.
Large-scale transportation facilities like airports consume massive amounts of electricity, making a 100% transition to solar energy a historical technological milestone.

Step 3: Detailed Explanation:

• Cochin International Airport (CIAL): Located at Nedumbassery in Kochi, Kerala, CIAL became the first fully solar-powered airport in the world in August 2015.
- It commissioned a 12 MWp solar power plant consisting of 46,150 solar panels laid across 45 acres near its cargo complex.
- This allows the airport to run completely grid-neutral, generating excess electricity that is fed back into the state electricity grid.
- For this revolutionary achievement, the United Nations honored CIAL with the prestigious ``Champions of the Earth'' award in 2018.

• Other Airports: While Vienna, Changi, and Denver airports have integrated solar energy systems, they are not fully solar-powered and did not achieve this milestone first.


Step 4: Final Answer:
The correct option is Option (A), Cochin International Airport, India.