Located in India’s southern state of Kerala, the Cochin International Airport became the world’s first solar-powered airport, when it transformed a patch of land previously reserved for cargo handling into a 12-megawatt solar plant. This energy source provides all the power the airport needs, and even generates surplus for the state grid.
“We consume 48,000 kWh [kilowatt hour: a unit of energy equal to 3.6 megajoules] a day. So if we can produce the same, that too by adhering to a sustainable development model, we could send a message to the world,” said VJ Kurian, managing director of the airport. Currently, 45 acres on the property housing more than 46,000 solar panels have become a new energy hub.
The maintenance and upkeep of the solar panels have also triggered busy farming activities. The water from cleaning the solar panels is used to grow over 80 tons in a year of pumpkins, gourd, and cucumber among other vegetables which are sold to the staff and in the open market.
The airport’s green practices helps to reduce its carbon footprint by over 300,000 metric tons, which is equivalent to planting 3 million trees.
Last updated: December 26th, 2025
