Chile’s General Directorate of Civil Aeronautics (DGAC) and Thales have partnered together to launch a fully solar-powered air traffic control radar station.
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Chile’s General Directorate of Civil Aeronautics (DGAC) and Thales have partnered to launch the world’s first completely solar-powered air traffic control radar station. The project, developed by Thales for the DGAC for both civil and military air traffic control, began a year ago and the site became operational this month.
“For DGAC, at a strategic level, this air traffic control radar station is undoubtedly a great contribution to air safety in the north of the country where there is currently a high air traffic density that will be fully covered by this new system, given its measurement range. [This range] is the highest in the market at 100 nautical miles in the case of the primary radar and 250 nautical miles in the case of the secondary radar,” said DGAC systems director Juan Alegría.
”This project delivery is a milestone in the civil aviation industry and a commitment to sustainability. This is not only a technological achievement for DGAC and Thales, but also an example of environmental responsibility,” said Thales vice president of civil radars Lionel de Castellane.
The station is located in the Atacama Desert in Northern Chile and is equipped with 340 strategically positioned panels that can generate 960 kWh per day. It also sports a backup generator. It features a STAR NG primary radar and RSM secondary radar.
This project was developed by Thales for the DGAC for both civil and military air traffic control. The companies have said they are also being mindful of archaeological sites in the region and have received authorization from native peoples in the area.
Sunny Days Ahead for Chile's Solar-powered ATC Radar
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Chile’s General Directorate of Civil Aeronautics (DGAC) and Thales have partnered to launch the world’s first completely solar-powered air traffic control radar station. The project, developed by Thales for the DGAC for both civil and military air traffic control, began a year ago and the site became operational this month.
“For DGAC, at a strategic level, this air traffic control radar station is undoubtedly a great contribution to air safety in the north of the country where there is currently a high air traffic density that will be fully covered by this new system, given its measurement range. [This range] is the highest in the market at 100 nautical miles in the case of the primary radar and 250 nautical miles in the case of the secondary radar,” said DGAC systems director Juan Alegría.
”This project delivery is a milestone in the civil aviation industry and a commitment to sustainability. This is not only a technological achievement for DGAC and Thales, but also an example of environmental responsibility,” said Thales vice president of civil radars Lionel de Castellane.
The station is located in the Atacama Desert in Northern Chile and is equipped with 340 strategically positioned panels that can generate 960 kWh per day. It also sports a backup generator. It features a STAR NG primary radar and RSM secondary radar.