Airportman.id – Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai, India (CSMIA) has recertified the “Green Existing Building Project” at Terminal 2 and received a Platinum rating for 2021-2024. Certification is carried out by the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC).

IGBC gave the Platinum rating in recognition to the airport operator CSMIA for continuously maintaining operational performance, maintenance, and passenger health features for the second year in a row. They had previously obtained the same rating for the 2016-2019 period. They also consistently demonstrate a commitment to improving and prioritizing environmentally friendly practices in day-to-day operations for a sustainable future.

CSMIA has redefined green or eco-friendly processes at airports by carrying out sustainable operations targeting key features, such as water efficiency, energy, health, and wellness practices. These developments result in operational efficiencies while using innovative technology to address challenges in environmental management. Among the series of green initiatives undertaken at CSMIA, some of the critical features honored by IGBC are as follows:

• The solar power plant generates 53,10,141 kWh of electricity with a share of solar power that is almost 6.6 percent of clean energy consumption.
• Reinforcing existing lighting with LEDs for all external lights can reduce the burden of use at the airport, which results in consumption of approximately 6.5 million units per year.
• The replacement of the belt-driven centrifugal fan with an EC Fan in the Air Handling Unit improves overall energy efficiency, reduces energy consumption, and reduces maintenance time significantly.
• Installation of IoT (Internet of Things) based sensors to monitor the temperature with Wi-Fi enabled temperature sensors placed at strategic locations in T2 to capture cold and hot air pockets. It also allows for accurate real-time monitoring and control of the entire building temperature and includes pockets that the VAV (Variable Air Volume) system does not serve.

CSMIA offers a holistic approach towards sustainable operations and has undertaken several initiatives under environmental management. IGBC Green Existing Building Operation & Maintenance (O&M) is the first rating program developed in India focused on sustainable building performance. With consistent efforts, CSMIA has saved about 13 million units of energy per year by implementing energy conservation measures and has reduced about 2MW of on-grid load.

Meanwhile, based on the Zero Water Discharge policy, CSMIA has an STP (Sewage Treatment Plant) to treat water and use treated water for cooling towers and horticultural purposes. CSMI has a capacity of 26L rainwater storage and 229 rainwater harvesting pits throughout the terminal to recharge the groundwater table to ensure water efficiency.

With the consistent application of the latest technology, CSMIA aims to achieve 100 percent fulfillment of energy needs from renewable energy in the coming years. Some of the core focuses include carbon management systems, carbon neutrality, renewable energy installations, wastewater recycling, improvement of effective waste management systems in renewable energy capacities, which not only align with the pillars of the IGBC ranking criteria but also meet the global standards of sustainable practice proposed by leading organizations around the world.