Delhi IGI airport to induct 62 EVs to cut down greenhouse gas emissions

The Delhi airport has decided to replace all its vehicles with EVs in the next four months for its airside operations under the Green Transportation Program to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions annually, its operator Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) said on Monday.

The plan to induct induct 62 electric vehicles at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport's airside, which include runway, taxiway, and apron involved in the arrival and departure of flights, will help reduce nearly 1,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions yearly. 

DIAL's announcement of the Green Transportation Program comes on the sidelines of the World Environment Day.

The airport operator also announced that it will install high voltage and fast-charging stations at strategic locations to meet the requirements of these vehicles and other airport stakeholders.

DIAL has worked with original equipment manufacturers for this programme to make the required changes in the EVs to install airport-specific equipment. It is working closely with the IGI stakeholders for smoother adoption of EVs at the airport. 

DIAL CEO Videh Kumar Jaipuriar, talking about the development, said, "DIAL has set a target to make Delhi Airport a Net Zero Carbon Emission Airport by 2030, and is continuously working to achieve this goal. We are planning to eliminate all the light vehicles of petrol and diesel in a phased manner from Delhi Airport and use electric vehicles instead." 

The adoption of electric vehicles for managing airport operations is a step forward. It is a first-of-its-kind initiative by any Indian airport to ensure a clean transportation environment," Jaipuriar said.

DIAL currently has facilitated electric buses for transportation of passengers from Terminal 3 to the Passenger Transport Centre (PTC) building.

DIAL, in a bid to become a "Net Zero Carbon Emission Airport" (NZCEA) by 2030, is also planning to source its electricity completely from renewable sources to ensure that charging of these vehicles is also emission-free, Jaipuriar said.