Kochi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi who was impressed by the fully solar-powered operations at the Cochin International Airport, Kerala said it should be an inspiration for energy guzzlers and said that stadiums could tap into natural resources to achieve power neutrality.

On Saturday, during his brief stopover visit, Modi hailed the Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) for being the world’s first fully solar-powered airport. Cochin holds the first ever airport in the world to run completely on solar power, making the airport a perfect match for the United Nations Champions of the Earth award.

During a discussion with CIAL managing director VJ Kurian, the Prime Minister endorsed the effort in tapping green energy for operating the airport, which won the award in 2018, an official statement said.

“The CIAL model of solarisation should inspire all other high-energy consumers”, Modi said, adding that the possibilities of laying solar panels at probable locations needed to be explored.

He also suggested that the roof of the galleries of stadiums could be used for placing solar panels.