*Photograph: Arthur Ellis.
SHANNON AIRPORT has unveiled a €6.6m investment which has resulted in Ireland’s first airfield solar PV farm and new passenger gates.
One fifth of Shannon Airport’s electricity is to be powered by a new 1.2 megawatt solar farm while a 7,800sqft extension to its European passenger gates responds to continued rising passenger numbers.
Minister for Climate, Environment & Energy, and Minister for Transport, Darragh O’Brien TD (FF) made his inaugural visit to Shannon Airport for the dual unveiling. He was joined by Junior Minister, Timmy Dooley (FF), Deputy Joe Cooney (FG), Deputy Cathal Crowe (FF) and Senator Maria Byrne (FG) for the unveiling.
Combined it is a €6.6m investment which is split as €3.6m for the solar farm and €3m for the passenger gates.
Within the solar farm are over 2,700 bifacial solar panels installed on a 5.5 acre site within Shannon Airport’s airfield. It is expected to supply up to 20% of Shannon Airport’s annual electricity needs, significantly reducing reliance on the national grid and fossil fuels by generating renewable energy on-site. The electricity generated from the solar PV farm each year would be enough to drive one of the airport’s electric vehicles around the world 233 times.
Early trials indicate the installation is outperforming expectations, generating impressive levels of renewable energy including 100% of the terminal building’s full electricity requirement at certain times on peak days in September.
Supported by a government grant of €1.5 million, the solar PV initiative aligns with national efforts to accelerate Ireland’s energy transition. The grant forms part of almost €2 million in grant aid for Shannon Airport under the government’s Regional State Airports Sustainability funding programme, with the remainder of the grant going towards upgrading the airport’s water system.
Passenger flow and accessibility is to be improved at Shannon with an expansion of its European boarding gates. The 7,800sqft extension is comprised of 4,300sqft of new internal space and 3,000sqft of integrated external covered walkways offering extra protection from the elements to passengers as they move from boarding gate to aircraft.
Short haul routes via boarding gates 1-5 are served in the expanded gate area. It has been reconfigured to optimise queuing and circulation space. Located at the eastern end of the existing gates, it also improves internal connectivity to aircraft stands on the east apron.
Both developments form part of a €50m investment in airport infrastructure and commercial property in 2025 and 2026.
Minister O’Brien paid tribute to all involved with the “very significant project” and admitted, “I’ve been really impressed with what I’ve seen” during his first visit to Shannon. “When you are doing more, we will support you to do more,” he promised management of the Shannon Airport Group.
“It is an Airport that is growing and will continue to grow, passenger numbers are projected to be 2.3m for the end of the year,” Minister O’Brien stated. “We have capacity to grow further at Shannon, I will support you during this growth period and we want to see Shannon grow further, it is a really important asset for our people”.
Interim CEO of the Shannon Airport Group, Ray O’Driscoll stated, “Today marks a significant step forward in our sustainability strategy and infrastructure development. The government support announced by Minister O’Brien in 2024 was much appreciated and will be instrumental in assisting us on our journey to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by over 51% by 2030 and achieve net zero by 2050. It has augmented our efforts to implement innovative solutions that enhance energy efficiency, reduce emissions, and promote sustainable practices throughout our operations. The grant was invaluable in delivering our solar PV farm, a key project under our Sustainability Strategy”.
O’Driscoll labelled the solar farm as “a game changer” for Shannon Airport and forms a big step in their efforts to reduce emissions by 51 percent by 2030.
Easier travel is the aim of the extended passenger gates, he outlined. Airline partners in Shannon will fly to 40 different routes in 2026 which is the most amount of connections at the Airport in twenty years.
