This comes after the Shannon Airport Group received planning approval from Clare Co Council to build a 1.2 MW photovoltaic solar farm on a 5.5 acre plot of land inside the airport's airfield.

The solar farm is expected to supply up to 15-20% of the airport's current electricity consumption from renewable energy sources once it is finished and running at full capacity.

After determining that the proposal would not materially harm the area's residential, ecological, or visual amenities and that it would be acceptable in terms of traffic and aircraft safety, the Council approved planning permission without receiving any objections.

The project will also enable direct on-site usage of the generated energy by installing below-ground electrical infrastructure from the airfield's solar array to the main airport terminal building, according to Shannon Airport Group.

One of the main initiatives in the Group's Sustainability Strategy is the sustainable use of the current land, as it strives to fulfil its climate objectives of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 51% by 2030 and attaining net zero emissions by 2050.

Chief Operating Officer of The Shannon Airport Group Ray O'Driscoll commented on the approval, saying, "We are pleased to be progressing to the next stage with our plans for the development of a solar farm at Shannon Airport."

"The strategic location of the solar farm within the airfield itself will allow the airport to decrease its reliance on energy from the national grid, decrease its use of fossil-fuels and increase its capacity for on-site renewable electricity generation," he stated.

"As we work towards our commitment of reaching net zero emissions by 2050, further use of renewable energy will be essential, and we remain committed to investing in smart and innovative infrastructure to ensure we can meet our energy efficiency targets."

As the airport gets ready for more than two million passengers in 2024, Shannon Airport Authority DAC has submitted five proposals to Clare County Council in recent months, including this one for a solar farm.

The proposed solar farm location is close to Taxiway 12 at the airport, and an engineering study from TOBIN shows that there is space next to the site that might be used for additional solar farm construction. This space is larger than the original 5.5-acre site.

The capital cost for the projects "will be funded from our own resources," according to a Shannon Group spokesman.