Around 3,700 solar panels and five inverters are expected to generate 1.5GWh of renewable energy annually.

Cork Airport has announced a new solar-power-roofed car park that could generate up to 20pc of the airport’s electricity needs. Construction for the 1.7MW ‘carport’ – Ireland’s largest-ever – is expected to conclude by August 2027.

The project is a part of the DAA Group’s €200m investment commitments across Cork Airport. The Irish government has backed the project with €2m in exchequer funding under the Regional State Airports Sustainability Programme.

The new carport is being built over the existing Holiday Blue car park, in collaboration with Greenvolt Next, a Lisbon-based renewable energy solutions provider. The company’s Irish wing, based out of Waterford, has installed photovoltaic panels for the likes of pharmaceutical company Temmler, AW Ennis, fintech Fexco and Dublin Airport.

The first phase of the carport rollout is expected in early summer, with a second expected in October. Current plans envisage around 3,700 solar panels and five inverters generating 1.5GWh of renewable energy each year for the airport. The installation is also expected to lower CO2 emissions by more than 350,000kg.

The carport will be followed up by an extension to the existing Holiday Blue car park with an additional 669 parking spaces; 32 of these will be dedicated spaces for people with reduced mobility. The project comes just after Cork Airport experienced its busiest ever year in 2025 with 3.46m passengers.

The Regional State Airports Sustainability Programme “was developed in 2024 to support regional state airports to reach their carbon emission reduction targets and build resilience against climate change”, said Minister for Transport, and Climate, Environment and Energy Darragh O’Brien, TD.

Niall MacCarthy, the managing director of Cork Airport, added: “We understand the need for more sustainable operations at airports, which is why Cork Airport is investing in Ireland’s largest solar carport today.”

Last September, Cork Airport was caught in a cyberattack that targeted a number of other European airports including Dublin, Brussels, Berlin and the UK’s Heathrow. The attack disrupted the airports’ baggage tagging and handling systems.

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