iGA Istanbul Airport now sources 100% of its electricity from solar energy, the company has announced, crediting its Eskişehir Solar Power Plant (SPP) for the milestone.
The airport now sources all electricity used in its operations from renewable energy, which it describes as a critical milestone on its path toward its 2050 Net Zero Emissions target. As of 2026, the airport says it is running entirely on green energy and is ahead of schedule on that roadmap.
The Eskişehir SPP represents a total investment of approximately €220m (US$252m), with an installed capacity of 240MW across a site covering roughly 3 million square meters. The plant is described as one of the largest renewable energy projects in the global aviation sector. Its official opening took place during the 2025 Renewable Energy Investments Collective Opening Ceremony, attended by Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and minister of energy and natural resources Alparslan Bayraktar.
iGA Istanbul Airport CEO Selahattin Bilgen said sustainability is the company’s core foundation rather than a secondary consideration. “Our Eskişehir Solar Power Plant, came online in 2025, and is the strongest reflection of our sustainability-centered approach,” he said. “In just five months, the SPP generated energy equivalent to 54% of our total annual electricity consumption. By 2026, we are now able to meet 100% of our electricity needs within our scope from solar energy. This means one of the world’s largest airports is powered entirely by 100% renewable electricity – a first in aviation history.”
Bilgen said the SPP investment prevents 212,800 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually, and that the airport’s Scope 1 and 2 emissions have been reduced by 27.8% compared with a 2019 baseline. “We are well ahead of the pace envisioned by European airports,” he said. “The Eskişehir SPP has become a reference point, not just for İGA, but for all energy-intensive industries. As the first institution to achieve this transformation at this scale, we firmly believe that we do not have to choose between growth and protecting our planet.”
The company says the prevented emissions are equivalent to the carbon sequestration capacity of approximately 517 million Calabrian pine trees over the plant’s 25-year economic lifespan.
As part of its push toward net zero by 2050, iGA Istanbul Airport has raised its 2030 renewable energy target from 50% to 90%. The solar panels were installed at the Eskişehir site rather than on the terminal roof to preserve the building’s architectural design. Under Turkish energy legislation permitting remote renewable energy usage, the airport says it has become the first mega-airport to operate on 100% clean energy sourced from a facility located outside its own premises.
In related news, UK government launches £219m fund to boost sustainable aviation fuel production
