Plans submitted for major solar farm beside Belfast International Airport

A planning application has been submitted to Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council for a proposed new solar farm adjacent to Belfast International Airport.

The proposal is for the installation and operation of a solar farm of up to 24MW, along with associated infrastructure, access routes and landscaping, on land located around one kilometre west of the main airport terminal building between Seacash Road and British Road, Crumlin.

The application has been submitted by an agent on behalf of renewable energy company SunMind.

In October 2023, VINCI Airports, which owns and operates Belfast International Airport, announced plans for the proposed solar farm to be “developed, financed, built and operated” by VINCI Concessions subsidiary SunMind on the airport site.

Site location boundary of proposed solar farm, marked by red line, near Belfast International Airport

VINCI Airports anticipates that the proposed development could save around 12,500 tonnes of CO2 emissions per year. The initiative forms part of the company’s global environmental action plan, which aims to achieve a 50% reduction in emissions by 2030 and net zero by 2050.

Belfast International Airport has been part of the VINCI Airports network since 2018. The proposed development also forms part of a wider £100 million five-year investment programme aimed at increasing the airport’s “operational efficiency, improve passenger experience and environmental performance”.

In August last year, VINCI Airports launched one of the UK’s first airside solar farms at Edinburgh Airport. The 11-acre facility, located beside the airport runway, is said to provide around 27% of the airport’s energy needs.

Proposed site plan for new solar farm positioned near Belfast International Airport

Elsewhere within the VINCI Airports network, renewable energy projects have also been developed at airports in Portugal and Madeira.

At Funchal Airport in Madeira, a 1.4MW photovoltaic plant was installed on carports and is expected to generate approximately 1.87GWh annually, covering around 26% of the airport’s electricity needs. The project includes 2,411 solar panels installed across 400 parking spaces.

Meanwhile, at Porto Santo Airport in Portugal, a ground-mounted solar installation is expected to produce around 297MWh annually, representing approximately 24% of the airport’s electricity consumption and reducing CO2 emissions by an estimated 148 tonnes per year.

Belfast International Airport has been approached for comment.