A new era of clean energy and smoother travel experience begins at Shannon Airport with the launch of its airfield solar farm and expanded terminal facilities

(NEWS) SHANNON, Ireland, 2025-Nov-28 — /Travel PR News/ — Shannon Airport has taken a substantial step toward greener aviation operations with the launch of Ireland’s first solar PV farm built within an active airfield — a development expected to generate up to one-fifth of the airport’s electricity needs. The project, coupled with a newly expanded European boarding gate area, was officially unveiled on Friday by Minister for Climate, Environment & Energy and Minister for Transport, Darragh O’Brien TD, according to their press announcement. Together, the two upgrades represent a combined investment of €6.6 million and form part of a wider €50 million infrastructure programme planned across 2025 and 2026.

Installed across 5.5 acres of airfield space, the solar facility features more than 2,700 bifacial panels with a generation capacity of 1.2 megawatts. Early performance tests suggest the system is exceeding expectations, powering up to 100% of the terminal’s electrical demand during certain high-production periods — a shift expected to reduce dependency on fossil fuels and feed into Ireland’s renewable energy targets. Supported by €1.5 million in government grant funding, the scheme reflects a national push toward a cleaner power grid and complements other sustainability upgrades already underway at Shannon.

Alongside the solar project, the airport has opened a €3 million extension to its short-haul boarding gate zone, adding new internal space and weather-protected walkways designed to ease congestion and improve passenger movement. The expanded layout enhances access to aircraft stands on the eastern apron, increasing operational efficiency during busy periods and improving flow through Gates 1–5.

This dual investment aligns with The Shannon Airport Group’s long-term sustainability strategy, which includes a roadmap toward net-zero operations by 2050 and more than a 51% emissions reduction target by 2030. The Group reports progress in areas such as fleet electrification, energy-efficient lighting upgrades, and biodiversity restoration initiatives spanning pollinator habitats to conservation grazing at Thady’s Hill, which recently earned national recognition for environmental stewardship. Interim CEO Ray O’Driscoll described the opening as an important milestone for the airport’s future, crediting government assistance for enabling faster decarbonisation across infrastructure and operations.