Airports
25th Jun 2026, 15:16. Written by Airside Reporter
Dublin Airport has announced a significant ramping up of its renewable energy ambitions, which will see around 30% of the airport’s electricity needs generated through onsite solar farms before 2030.
daa made the announcement having lodged a planning application for Phase 2 of its solar farm initiative, which includes the installation of around 23,000 solar panels on a 48-acre site located to the east of the airport campus.*
The solar photovoltaic (PV) panels are a clean and renewable energy source, converting sunlight directly into electricity using PV cells and emitting no greenhouse gases or pollutants.
Once operational, the 14MWp farm is expected to generate around 13GWh per annum, dependent on weather conditions, which is around 17% of Dublin Airport’s annual consumption.
This will more than double the airport’s current renewable solar energy output from 12% in 2025 to close to 30% by mid-2028, significantly ahead of its current target of 20% by 2030.
This is sufficient electricity to fully power Terminal 2 in addition to all airfield lighting.
Phase 1, a 28-acre site with 15,000 panels, became operational in late 2024, while Phase 2 will see the airport campus further reduce its impact on the national electricity grid as part of a wider pipeline of renewable energy projects.
Phase 2 also includes a battery energy storage system (BESS) plant, which will allow for excess solar generation, reduced grid reliance, provide resilience and enable future revenue streams.
Welcoming the development, Minister for Transport Darragh O’Brien, said: “It is very encouraging to see daa continue to explore and invest in renewable energy solutions.
“I was delighted to officially open the airport’s first solar farm last year and to see it generate 12% of their electricity needs in 2025.
“Subject to planning permission, Phase 2 will catapult the contribution of renewable solar energy to 30% by mid-2028, helping Dublin Airport meet its commitment to reduce its emissions by 51% by 2030.”
Andrea Carroll, daa Group Director of Sustainability, said: “Aviation is one of the hardest industries to decarbonise and all parts of the sector must play their part.
“daa has a very ambitious programme of decarbonisation, with generating and using renewable energy a key pillar of our plan to reduce emissions in line with commitments under the National Climate Action Plan.
“Dublin Airport was officially recognised last month as a Level 4+ airport in the internationally recognised Airport Carbon Accreditation programme, placing it among the top 13% of airports globally for carbon management.
“This marks a significant step forward in daa’s sustainability journey, with Phase 2 of the solar farm further evidence of our determination.”
Vincent Harrison, daa Chief Commercial and Development Officer, said: “This significant expansion of our solar energy infrastructure is a win-win for the airport.
“It increases the sustainability of our terminals and airfield operations, while also reducing our reliance on the national electricity grid.
“Continuing to invest in modernising Dublin Airport and making our operations as energy efficient as possible is a key part of our €2 billion Infrastructure Application to set Dublin Airport up for the future.”
How the Dublin Airport solar farm contributes to the National Climate Action Plan
This renewable energy source will help Dublin Airport meet its commitment to reduce its direct emissions (Scope 1) by 51% by 2030, which aligns with the public sector targets set as part of the National Climate Action Plan, and ultimately towards achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050 at the latest.
Dublin Airport’s capital investment plan, together with the Infrastructure Application submitted to Fingal County Council in December 2023, identify a suite of projects that will provide sustainability benefits with investments totalling €400 million.
To appropriately incorporate the solar installations and other related renewable and alternative fuel technologies, the airport is in the process of actively pursuing battery energy storage solutions (BESS).
The deployment of energy efficient technology across the campus remains a key part of the airport’s carbon reduction strategy, with the ongoing deployment of LED lighting, fixed electrical ground power (FEGP) for aircraft and electric vehicle (EV) fleet and charging point upgrades among other solutions.
Transitioning to a sustainable fleet
82% of Dublin Airport’s light commercial fleet (e.g. cars and vans) has been transitioned to LEV (low emission vehicles) and are electric or hybrid vehicles, and 100% of the heavy fleet (e.g. fire and rescue trucks) has been transitioned from diesel to Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) or electric.
In 2025, Dublin Airport achieved a 44% reduction in carbon emissions through a combination of measures, including renewable electricity generated by its solar PV farm, the use of HVO in place of oil for heating and operating its heavy fleet, and strong, year-round energy management by its Asset Management team.
In addition, Dublin Airport completed energy audits on nine of its poorest‑performing buildings, identifying a suite of measures that will be implemented to help drive progress towards its carbon targets.
Dublin Airport has already exceeded the National Climate Action Plan public sector target of a 50% improvement in energy efficiency by 2030 through a range of measures, including improving heating efficiency in terminals and campus buildings and upgraded LED lighting on the airfield and campus. Further improvements are in progress.
These initiatives form part of its sustainability investments of more than €50 million in 2025, including contributions as part of the Capital Investment Programme (CIP), which underscores its commitment to supporting innovative research and driving climate action within the aviation sector.
Dublin Airport also continues to support its aviation and transport partners to find ways to reduce their carbon emissions (Scope 3), which are outside of Dublin Airport’s direct control.
These emissions emanate from many sources, including aircraft flight emissions and passenger transport to and from the airport.
Dublin Airport is also supporting its airline customers’ exploration of sustainable aviation fuels and the possibilities of hydrogen and electricity powered flight.
Moreover, it is supportive of ambitious public infrastructure projects, including MetroLink and BusConnects, which will reduce passenger emissions as they travel to and from Dublin Airport.
The tender to build Dublin Airport’s MetroLink stop was issued last month, and the airport continues to work collaboratively with MetroLink and other stakeholders including the NTMA, TII and FCC to progress these plans.
*The location of the solar farm is on airport lands bounded by the M1 motorway, Stockhole Lane and Old Stockhole Lane.
MWp = Megawatt peak. This is the unit of measurement from the source of power from the solar farm, which can vary on the strength of the sun. 1 Megawatt = 1,000 Kilowatts & 1 kilowatt = 1,000 watts.
GWh = Gigawatt hour. This unit is for measuring energy produced or consumed over time.
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