Cork Airport has announced it will build Ireland's largest solar-powered carport in partnership with Waterford-based renewable energy company Greenvolt Next, in a project forming part of daa Group's broader €200 million capital investment programme at the airport. The 1.7 MW structure will be constructed over the existing Holiday Blue car park and is expected to generate up to 20 per cent of the airport's annual electricity needs once completed in August 2027.

Irish Tech News reported that the carport will be rolled out in two phases, with the first commencing in early summer and the second in October. The structure will feature 3,696 solar panels and five inverters, generating 1.5 GWh of renewable energy annually and reducing the airport's CO₂ emissions by 355,056 kg based on SEAI data.

Niall MacCarthy, managing director of Cork Airport, said the airport understands the need for more sustainable operations and confirmed the project will enable Cork Airport to meet its 2030 energy reduction targets. He acknowledged the support of daa Group and government departments in making the project possible.

Owen Power, chief executive of Greenvolt Next Ireland, said the company's aim is to make renewable energy easy, and that the solar carport enables Cork Airport to be more resourceful, have more control, and use more reliable infrastructure, while also delivering tangible financial and environmental benefits.

The project received over €2 million in Exchequer funding under the Regional State Airports Sustainability Programme. Cork Airport recorded its busiest year on record in 2025, handling 3.46 million passengers, and was named Europe's Best Regional Airport by Airports Council International Europe. The airport was also named Best Performing Commercial Semi-State for energy reduction by SEAI in both 2021 and 2022.

Read the full report on Cork Airport's solar carport project.