Photo: Shutterstock Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport is moving further into renewable energy with the operation of the main plant in a major photovoltaic park that Aena says is the largest at a commercial airport in Europe.
The project forms part of Aena’s Climate Action Plan 2021–2030 and is designed to significantly reduce the airport’s reliance on conventional electricity sources. Once fully developed, the photovoltaic park will generate an amount of renewable energy equivalent to 100% of Madrid-Barajas Airport’s electricity consumption.
Madrid Barajas Airport. Photo: dmitro2009 / Shutterstock.comThe main solar plant has a nominal capacity of 120 MWn and is already operational. It is expected to generate 242.9 GWh of electricity each year, equivalent to the average annual consumption of around 74,000 homes.
The installation covers approximately 142 hectares across several plots within the airport grounds and contains around 215,000 photovoltaic modules.
Óscar Puente, Spain's Minister of Transport and Sustainable Mobility, visited the park together with Vice President Aagesen. "With 215,000 solar panels and an area equivalent to 200 soccer fields, it will enable meeting the electrical needs of the facilities," explained Puente.
The project is larger than a single solar facility, with three plants planned as part of the overall park. Alongside the operational 120 MWn installation, a 7.5 MWn self-consumption plant is currently under construction, while a third facility with a nominal capacity of 45 MWn is in the project design stage.
Together, the three plants are expected to provide a total nominal capacity of 172.5 MWn and annual production of 333.9 GWh. Aena says this combined output will be equivalent to the electricity consumption of more than 100,000 homes.
The 7.5 MWn self-consumption plant will cover around 22 hectares and is being developed specifically to supply the airport. Its expected annual production of 11.8 GWh would be equivalent to 16% of the annual electricity consumption of Terminals 1, 2 and 3, or the average consumption of around 3,600 homes.
The future 45 MWn plant is expected to produce another 79.2 GWh annually and occupy approximately 41 hectares.
The photovoltaic development is part of Aena’s broader €750 million sustainability strategy. The airport operator reported that its own emissions had fallen by 74.4% in 2025 compared with 2019 and has set a target of achieving carbon neutrality in 2026, followed by Net Zero Carbon status in 2030.
Spanish Transport Minister Óscar Puente described the Madrid-Barajas facility as the largest solar plant installed at a European airport, highlighting its role in the aviation sector’s energy transition.
Aena is also expanding solar generation elsewhere across its network. Photovoltaic facilities are already operating or being developed at several Spanish airports, as the company works toward increasing renewable energy generation across its infrastructure.
For Madrid-Barajas, the completed solar park will represent a substantial shift in how one of Europe’s busiest aviation hubs meets its electricity needs, turning large areas within the airport site into a source of renewable power.
Earlier this year, Thessaloniki Airport announced it will switch to an advanced solar park, expected to provide a significant portion of its electricity consumption and reduce carbon emissions by 30%. On January 1, 2026, Athens International Airport began receiving clean, renewable electricity generated on site following an investment of €70 million.