5 IATA OVER FLIGHT BEACON-POWER SYSTEMS
AFGHANISTAN

LOCATION

In the spring of 2000, IATA needed to power five new over-flight beacons in Afghanistan. Four sites were in various airports and the fifth site was in the mountains. Due to the special restrictions imposed on Afghanistan's air space, IATA had to make special arrangements, e.g. with the Red Cross, to transport the equipment into Afghanistan.

Solar Panel installation at one of the airports

THE SYSTEMS

IATA opted for Appropriate Energy systems ranging from simple diesel-battery hybrids to a wind-solar-diesel hybrid because of these system's potential savings on fuel and Appropriate Energy's experience with remote situations and ability to meet strict IATA requirements. Because the systems were required to provide 24 hours of sustainable 220V AC quality sine wave power, each site has at least one level of redundancy. One of the four diesel-battery hybrids was connected to the grid while the others were stand-alone systems.

INSTALLATION

Prior to shipment, IATA engineers conducted a stringent factory inspection of the equipment. At the factory, Appropriate Energy also provided training to them on installation and service and maintenance. Installation in Afghanistan was performed by these trained IATA personnel.

POST SCRIPT

May 2002 After the air raids on Afghanistan, it is interesting to note that most of the original equipment had not been destroyed. The wind turbine was damaged by debris from a bombed jet fighter but the tower was left undamaged. Actually the wind/solar/diesel battery hybrid system was the first one back online, as the solar panels remained intacted after the bombings. IATA has placed an order for replacement parts to have these systems in full operation ASAP.

Some of the installation crew