MLA invests €1.2m in PV panels

Malta International Airport (MLA) has invested more than €1.2m on photovoltaic panels since 2016, with the new system tripling airport capacity to generate clean energy, according to a press release sent to Business Malta. MLA has also signed Airport Council International (ACI) Net Zero Carbon 2050 resolution. 

Malta International Airport’s investment in photovoltaic panels allows the airport to contribute to the curbing of CO2 emissions, with structures such as the new 998-kilowatt peak photovoltaic (PV) system, the airport says. The system is located on the airfield and is roughly 2,000% greater than the peak power rating of the average photovoltaic system for the commercial sector for 2018.

In 2018, a PV system with a considerably lower peak power rating than the recently installed system led to the generation of over 602,000 kWh of clean energy, which is approximately equivalent to the yearly electricity consumption of 40 average Maltese households, the airport says. A PV system utilises solar modules that comprise several solar cells generating electrical power.

Furthermore, the airport has taken up other initiatives to be more environmentally sustainable, such as the gradual replacement of lighting and equipment with more energy-efficient alternatives and the rolling out of a vehicle fleet replacement programme, says the press release. In fact, MLA saw a drop of 12% in greenhouse gas emissions and a decrease of 11.6% in total water consumption in 2018.

Additionally, Malta International Airport has signed Airport Council International (ACI) Europe’s resolution to become a net-zero carbon industry for emissions under its control by no later than 2050. Malta International Airport is also a member of ACI’s Carbon Accreditation Programme at the mapping level.