Cochin International Airport is the first green field airport in the country built with public-private partnership .Planned and constructed from scratch, the airport has been acclaimed for setting a novel idea in infrastructure development. The astonishing public participation, relentless support from NRIs and an effective leadership have made CIAL, the company that built and operates the airport, an international brand. The airport handled 8.97 million passengers in FY 2016-17 and stands fourth in the country in terms of international passengers and seventh in total passengers. It handles more than 1400 aircraft movements per week. Always adhering to the core philosophy of cost effectiveness and green culture, CIAL is evolving itself as a company which gets along with nature. On 18th August 2015, CIAL became the first airport in the world fully powered by Solar Energy. T3 is the new venture that CIAL devotes itself into.The 1.5 million square feet new international terminal the T3 is CIAL’s new initiative which was put into full operation in April 2017.
The new terminal
With a built up area of 15 lakh sq ft, the cost-effective terminal has a peak hour handling capacity of about 4,000 passengers. Built at a cost of about Rs 1,150 crore, the terminal showcases Kerala’s temple architecture in its facade and is expected to be fully operational soon. The new terminal has made use of about eight to nine escalators and seven to eight elevators. It has an initial parking capacity for about 1,500 cars, which is planned to be extended to 2,500.
Technical specs
CIAL has selected technologies through national-level contracts. “We don’t have any turnkey contractors; the whole project is divided into different packages,” shares A.M Shabeer, Executive director, Engineering Services, CIAL. “We have prequalified agencies based on the requirements of these packages through national tenders. So, in this exercise, we selected L&T for civil contracting and Sterling & Wilson for MEP works. Besides these, we have more than 30 contract packages for flooring, glazing, etc. Our contractors have adopted technologies and machineries up to date with current construction practices. So, we have used up-to-date technologies. For example, for the building works, we used different types of cranes; for tiling, we used hydraulic bucking machines, etc.”
Further, the project features sufficient LEDs for lighting and about 3,000 cameras will be installed in the new terminal. It also has an extensive sewage treatment plant (STP) with adequate capacity of 750 kld per day. Besides, a building management system (BMS) is also being planned for the project.
The terminal has used local materials sourced from the country itself. “We are importing materials selectively,” points out Shabeer, “only items that are not manufactured here, such as aerobridges and other connected items.”
The terminal building has been constructed with block masonry; for roofing, galvalume sheets have been used. The glass used to build the structure has been sourced from Saint Gobain and includes spider glazing, etc. “We have used a metallic false ceiling,” adds Shabeer. “And for the flooring, the project has extensively used vitrified tiles of 80 × 80 cm with 12-mm thickness; these have been used for the first time in the country. The entire flooring has used vitrified tiles.” While a little glazing work has been done for the side walls, UPC cladding has been used for the exterior. The building predominantly features wooden furniture.
Overcoming challenges
Constructing a new terminal in a functional airport is in itself a huge challenge considering public movement. CIAL handled this successfully by isolating the area from other operational areas.
Also, in Kerala, availability of land is scarce and the population density high. Fortunately, Cochin Airport overcame this because it acquired around 1,286 acre in the initial stage itself. This has proved sufficient thus far. However, considering its future expansion plans, it will have to acquire more land. In addition, the state receives rains twice a year, owing to which outdoor activity is a challenge during four to five months. Transportation is another challenge as most materials are imported from other states. Cochin Airport successfully managed to overcome these and other challenges such as labour issues and scarcity of materials. In fact, there was no lag in the development process and the airport was completed in just about three years.
The long run
The total cost of construction of the new terminal is Rs 1,150 crore. As Shabeer points out, “Keeping the cost low is the key. And to keep the cost low, we need a clear idea of what we are building and how we can expand in a modular fashion; so, design is crucial.”
With the airport being the first in the world to be 100-per-cent operational on solar energy, it aims to recover the Rs 62 crore spent on the solar plant within six years by supplying excess power to the state at an average cost of Rs 4 per unit. “We save about 1 crore per month, which means in just about five-and-a-half to six years, we should be able to recover our money,” adds Shabeer.
Indeed, Cochin Airport is benchmarked by the Airport Economic Regulatory Authority as the most cost-effective airport developed. With its cost-effective systems, solar-powered sustainable approach and a swank new international terminal on the way, Cochin Airport is a true trendsetter.
The power centre
As World’s first airport fully operated on solar energy, CIAL is always introducing innovations. It’s plant to become a 3000 Crore by 2023 relies upon diversification of activities wherein the power sector is being focused. As of now solar pv plants at different places in the vicinity of the airport, have a cumulative installation capacity of 30 MWp. The effort is in the pipeline to scale up the capacity by introducing new plants. Besides, the company works on 8 small hydro electric projects (SHP), with a total capacity of 60 MW at different places in Kerala. CIAL’s first SHP at Arippara, near the northern district of Kozhikode will be commissioned by the end of this year.
The salient features of solar power plants that made the airport power neutral are
- CIAL forayed into the non-conventional energy sector by setting up a 100 KWp plant in March 2013. Another plant with a capacity of 1 MWp was commissioned in November 2013.
- The airport became the first in the world fully powered by solar energy in August 2015 with the commissioning of a 12 MWp plant near cargo premises. This never before idea fetched the airport the sobriquet; GREENPORT.
- Over the next 25 years, this green power project will avoid carbon dioxide emissions from coal fired power plants by more than 3 lakh metric tons, which is equivalent to planting 3 million trees or not driving 750 million miles.
- The capacity enhancement project has begun in 2016. By June 2017 its solar plants laid in different places, like cargo premises, over car park, and over concrete pillars constructed across a canal have a cumulative installation capacity of 30 MWp capable of producing on an average of 1.2 lakhs units of power a day.
- The solar carport which houses 1400 cars has an installation capacity of 2.7MWp and it is the largest of its kind in the country.
Practices
As the people’s airport, CIAL always tried to get along with the society. The airport encompasses an area of approximately 1300 acres spread across four panchayaths and one municipality. About 1.5 lakh people live here. Since inception the airport has been performing a pivotal role in scaling up the standard of living of these people. As Kerala is one of the state which faces problems like unemployment, and power shortages, CIAL’s many initiatives provided the habitat around it with building capacities. Definitely, the solar power project is one among them. Cochin international airport Ltd’s innovative idea of making its airport absolutely power neutral by tapping energy from non-conventional sources is regarded as one of the best practices ever followed by an Indian organization, to reduce the carbon footprints. Being the first airport in the country built under public-private partnership, This never before idea fetched the airport the sobriquet; GREENPORT. The airport’s vision for development drew inspiration from its penchant towards building a green culture and nurturing green habitat around it. It integrates nature, culture and community.
Experimenting with models which are inclusive, sustainable and cost effectiveness is the development philosophy followed by CIAL. The best way to observe this philosophy is to be innovative always. There are alternatives for anything. 18 years back CIAL built an airport with the help of common men; an idea that changed the infrastructure perspective of the country. It became a country first. Now, by keeping the same track, of being innovative, it became a world’s first. When the copy book action plans and formulations fail, never give up the idea; rather, think of an alternative systems. This is the brave new world which always demand ideas and innovations. If your ideas are inclusive, that will change the world.
