Cork Airport awards contract for solar carport which will provide 20% of electricity needs

Niall MacCarthy, Managing Director, Cork Airport, signs an agreement for a solar carport at the airport with John Carty, Greenvolt Ireland chief commercial officer. They were joined by Minister of State at Department of Transport, Jerry Buttimer, Brian Warren, construction director, Greenvolt Next; Transpirt Minister Darragh O'Brien; and Seamus McGrath TD. Picture: Darragh Kane

Cork Airport has awarded the contract for Ireland’s largest solar-powered carport to Waterford-based company Greenvolt Next, a project that will generate 20% of the airport's electricity needs. 

The new solar carport, which is being constructed over the existing Holiday Blue car park, will see an overhead roof/canopy structure fitted with 3,956 photovoltaic (PV) solar panels. The structure will provide shelter for parked vehicles while generating electricity. The carport will generate over 1.5 GWh of renewable energy annually, meeting 20% of Cork Airport’s electricity needs, and reduce CO₂ emissions by 355,056kg each year.