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Upington airport goes green

Admire Moyo
By Admire Moyo, ITWeb's news editor.
Johannesburg, 22 Jul 2016
ACSA aims to complete solar plants at all six of its regional airports at an estimated total cost of R90 million.
ACSA aims to complete solar plants at all six of its regional airports at an estimated total cost of R90 million.

South Africa has opened its third solar-powered airport.

The minister of transport, Dipuo Peters, today unveiled a solar plant at Upington International Airport in the Northern Cape.

The solar plant, which is a clean energy source, will supply the airport with a viable alternative source of electricity. It was built by the agency of the Department of Transport, Airports Company SA (ACSA).

Construction of the facility commenced on 7 October 2015. The Airports Council International recently named Upington the best airport in Africa that services fewer than two million passengers per year.

Upington International Airport Solar Plant is the second of its kind in the Northern Cape Province. The first solar plant in the province was launched by Peters at Kimberly Airport in May this year after opening another one at the George Airport in the Western Cape Province in February.

The airport will utilise solar photovoltaic, which means sunlight will be directly converted into electricity using sunray-absorbing panels.

ACSA aims to complete solar plants at all six its regional airports at an estimated total cost of R90 million. The other three remaining regional airports are Port Elizabeth International Airport, East London Airport and Bram Fischer International Airport in Bloemfontein.

The clean energy initiative follows in the footsteps of India's Cochin International airport - the world's first entirely solar-powered airport - and Galapagos Ecological Airport, built in 2012 to run solely on sun and wind power.

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