The facility, which was officially launched last week, has 3,000 photovoltaic modules, and will gradually increase capacity to deliver 750Kw power when it reaches full production.
It cost just over a million dollars to build, and is part of South Africa's commitment to introduce a mix of energy sources to all its airports. "As an airports management company running nine airports nationally, part of our strategic objective is to minimize our environmental impact," Skhumbuzo Macozoma, chairman of the Airports Company South Africa Board said in a statement.
"Harnessing solar power is a viable cleaner energy source which contributes towards diversifying the energy mix. This plant will ensure that the airport is self-sustaining in terms of its power needs, and will eventually extend to the broader community within the George municipality," he added.
The airport serves the Western Cape town of George which lies in the heart of the scenic Garden Route, famous for its lush vegetation and lagoons which are dotted along the landscape.
It handles over 600,000 passengers a year, many of them tourists, but it's also a national distribution hub for cargo such as flowers, fish, oysters, herbs and ferns. The clean energy initiative follows in the footsteps of India's Cochin International airport -- the world's first entirely solar powered airport, and Galapagos Ecological Airport, built in 2012 to run solely on Sun and wind power.
Africa,we need to turn up
ReplyDeletethats what we need,real turn up
ReplyDeletewe are getting there
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