iGA Istanbul Airport has reached a significant sustainability milestone through a large scale solar power project.
iGA Istanbul Airport (IST) has achieved a major sustainability milestone after becoming the world’s first mega airport to meet 100 per cent of its electricity requirements through solar energy.
The achievement follows the inauguration of the Eskişehir Solar Power Plant, one of the largest renewable energy projects developed by an airport operator globally.
iGA Istanbul Airport reaches renewable energy milestone
The solar facility was officially inaugurated during Türkiye’s 2025 Renewable Energy Investments Collective Opening Ceremony, attended by senior government representatives including President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
Developed through an investment of €220 million, the project has an installed capacity of 240 MW and occupies approximately three million square metres.
Airport officials said the investment represents one of the most significant steps in the airport’s long-term sustainability and decarbonisation strategy.
The Eskişehir Solar Power Plant began operations in 2025 and, according to the airport, generated energy equivalent to 54 per cent of annual electricity consumption within its first five months of operation.
As of 2026, the facility now enables iGA Istanbul Airport to meet all electricity demand within its operational responsibility using renewable energy sources.
The airport stated that the project places it between 30 and 40 per cent ahead of its planned pathway towards achieving net zero emissions by 2050.
Selahattin Bilgen said sustainability forms a core part of the airport’s business strategy and that the solar project demonstrates how large infrastructure operators can combine growth with environmental responsibility.
According to airport data, the solar power plant prevents approximately 212,800 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions annually. Over the facility’s projected 25-year lifespan, the environmental benefit is estimated to be equivalent to the carbon absorption capacity of around 517 million Calabrian pine trees.
The project also supports reductions in Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions, which have already fallen by 27.8 per cent compared with the airport’s 2019 baseline.
Supporting long-term net zero ambitions
The solar investment forms part of a wider sustainability strategy under which iGA Istanbul Airport has increased its renewable energy target for 2030 from 50 per cent to 90 per cent.
Rather than installing solar panels on the terminal building, the airport developed the renewable energy facility at a dedicated site in Eskişehir. Officials said this approach preserves the architectural design of the terminal while taking advantage of Türkiye’s regulatory framework that allows renewable electricity generated remotely to be used at other locations.
The airport believes the project establishes a new benchmark for sustainability within the aviation sector while demonstrating the role renewable energy can play in supporting airport operations and long-term decarbonisation goals.
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