$5 million expansion: Why NT Airports is switched on to solar
THE Airport Development Group is making a power play with funding it received from the North Australia Infrastructure Facility
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THE Airport Development Group is making a power play with funding it received from the North Australia Infrastructure Facility (NAIF).
The funding has cleared the way for work to begin today on a 4Mw solar rooftop array across four businesses operating within ADG’s 311ha Darwin International Airport site.
The project will see solar arrays installed on rooftops at Bunnings, the Cold Store Facility, Osgood South Business Park and the DIA terminal and carparks by the end of 2021. The $5M investment includes ADG capex investment and funding from the NAIF.
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News of the $5m investment follows the ADG’s recent announcement that it plans to build a multimillion-dollar world-class destination resort integrating the Mercure Darwin Airport Resort and Novotel Darwin Airport Hotel into one site.
ADG executive general manager property and terminal Ross Baynes said the investment in the solar arrays demonstrates ADG’s commitment to sustainability.
He said all the solar array works will be undertaken by local businesses.
“As a local business that has operated in the Territory for more than 20 years we believe we can make a positive difference to the lives of Territorians, by investing locally and using local businesses to undertake works where we can,” said Mr Baynes.
“ADG will continue to invest in solar energy to offset energy costs associated with operating our businesses.
“We have been an early adopter of large scale solar generation and this new investment builds on earlier investments at both our Darwin and Alice Springs sites.”
Darwin International Airport currently has two airside solar farms and various rooftop arrays totalling over 6Mw, which last financial year produced 8,297 mW hours of renewable energy — enough to support 84 per cent of DIA operations, including the terminal. Alice Springs Airport produces an additional megawatt of solar producing 1,546 mW hours, which last financial year covered ASA’s energy demands. The additional solar expansion is expected to provide DIA with all the energy it requires to operate.
Planning is well underway for additional solar arrays across our sites in Darwin, Alice Springs and Tennant Creek.”
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NAIF chief executive officer Chris Wade said NAIF works with project proponents to help bring a positive impact to local communities.
“We are pleased to partner with the Airport Development Group to help bring these solar arrays to the site,” he said. “NAIF has been a longstanding supporter of the ADG, funding improvements across the airport sites, and we look forward to continuing that partnership going forward.”
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