Air traffic control tower at Istanbul Airport. Photo: alayli2002 / Shutterstock.com Istanbul Airport (IGA Istanbul Airport) is marking a significant milestone in sustainability and green energy, having switched entirely to operating on electricity generated by solar power.
The move is made possible thanks to a solar power plant (SPP) that was built near Istanbul with a total investment of 220 million euros and an area of approximately 3 million square meters.
The power plant, with an installed capacity of 240 megawatts, is considered one of the largest renewable energy investments in the global aviation industry. The official inauguration ceremony was held as part of an event launching renewable energy projects in Turkey, attended by President Erdogan and the Turkish Minister of Energy.
Istanbul Airport's green energy transition ceremony. Photo: iGA Istanbul AirportAccording to the airport's announcement, within just five months of the facility's operation, an amount of electricity equivalent to 54% of the airport's annual electricity consumption was produced. Already this year, all of Istanbul Airport's electricity consumption is powered by solar energy, making it the first airport in the world of its size to operate on 100% renewable electricity.
As we reported, Athens Airport, which is significantly smaller than Istanbul Airport, also recently switched to 100% solar energy, becoming the first in Europe to do so.
The project is expected to prevent the emission of approximately 212,800 tons of carbon dioxide annually. In addition, the airport reported a 27.8% reduction in direct and indirect emissions compared to 2019, and is 30 to 40 percent ahead of its self-imposed schedule on the path to achieving a net-zero emissions goal by 2050.