Istanbul Airport, operated by IGA Airport Management Inc., will set a precedent in the field by meeting all of its electricity needs from a solar power plant (GES) to be established in Eskişehir.
As part of the Eskişehir GES project, which has a capacity of 199.32 megawatts and is being constructed on an area of approximately 3 million square meters by IGA Airport Management Inc., 439 thousand PV panels will be installed. It is aimed to produce 340 million kilowatt-hours of energy annually with the GES, making Istanbul Airport the first airport in the world to meet all of its electricity consumption from solar energy.
The project, planned to go into operation by the end of the year, received an investment of 212 million euros.
Selahattin Bilgen, Acting CEO of Istanbul Airport, said in a statement to AA that contributing to sustainable development with the understanding of ‘our focus is the world, our goal is the future’ is among their most important objectives.
Bilgen stated that they developed the Eskişehir GES project within the scope of the 2050 Net Zero Carbon Emission commitment, and said, “With the installation of this GES, we aim to mitigate the significant and concerning consequences of global warming and climate change worldwide by preventing 105,996 tons of equivalent carbon dioxide emissions. I see the project as extremely important not only for reducing dependence on energy but also for promoting the use of clean energy.”
Bilgen emphasized that they have developed various projects in line with the goals of leaving a more livable world for future generations, focusing on issues such as clean energy, economic development, and social welfare, and said:
“While it is envisaged to reduce Scope 1 and Scope 2 carbon emissions of Istanbul Airport, as determined in the Greenhouse Gas Protocol, by 45 percent in 2030 and 73 percent in 2040, we plan to focus on key strategies such as carbonization technologies, infrastructure support for sustainable fuel supply, energy efficiency, and renewable energy to reduce Scope 3 emissions.”
Pointing out concrete steps such as waste recycling efforts to reduce emissions originating from waste by 50 percent and the gradual transition of vehicle fleets to electric vehicles, Bilgen said, “Thanks to these steps, our total energy consumption decreased by 10.7 percent last year. We obtained 30 percent of the water consumed at our airport from reclaimed water. Our water footprint decreased by 5 percent compared to the previous year. We recycled 35 percent of our waste and ensured its return to the country’s economy as raw materials.”
Bilgen explained that the wastewater generated is collected through the wastewater sewerage infrastructure system, treated at the Advanced Biological Wastewater Treatment Plant with a capacity of 15,000 cubic meters per day, and the water quality is monitored online through online analyses, and the reclaimed water is used as landscaping water.
Emphasizing that all water used in landscaping areas is obtained from reclaimed water, Bilgen said, “Thus, 35 percent of the water consumed at our airport is provided from reclaimed sources. We continue our efforts to increase the recycling rate.”
Bilgen also mentioned that the collected waste is transferred to the Solid Waste Collection and Separation Facility, where all waste is separated through a semi-automatic separation system after being weighed. Hazardous wastes are stored in the Hazardous Waste Temporary Storage Area after weighing and are taken by licensed recycling and disposal companies. He added that domestic wastes are treated in incineration plants, organic wastes are evaluated in biometanization and composting plants, contributing to the circular economy. Thanks to these practices, 34 percent of the waste is recycled.
source: aa.com.tr/ prepared by Melisa Beğiç