Support grant of over €1.9 million announced for Shannon Airport

The Shannon Airport Group has welcomed €1.935 million of a grant support for the county Clare airport under the new Regional State Airports Sustainability Programme.

The funding was announced on Friday, October 18, by James Lawless TD, Minister of State at the Department of Transport, as part of funding allocations totalling over €4.2m to support Shannon and Cork Regional State airports in 2024.

His announcement came as he met with Mary Considine, Chief Executive Officer of Shannon Airport Group, as part of his ministerial responsibility for aviation.

Welcoming today’s funding announcement, Ms Considine said the investment "will be invaluable in supporting two projects under our Sustainability Strategy, our solar PV farm and the upgrade of our water system".

"The strategic location of the solar farm within our airfield 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," Ms Considine continued.

"When complete and operating at full capacity, the solar farm will provide up to 15-20% of the airport’s current electrical demand from renewable energy.”

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The meeting between Ms Considine and Minister Lawless was "productive" and included discussion of "the pressing issue of the passenger cap at Dublin Airport".

Ms Considine informed the Minister that Shannon Airport, which currently handles just over 2 million passengers per year, stands ready to accept up to 5 million.

She also noted that Shannon could facilitate up to 10 million passengers with an upgrade to the current Terminal which would allow Shannon Airport to meet the needs of business and tourism in the region. 

“The government support announced today by Minister Lawless is much appreciated and will assist us on our journey at Shannon Airport to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by over 50% by 2030 and achieve net zero by 2050.

"It will augment our efforts to implement innovative solutions that enhance energy efficiency, reduce emissions, and promote sustainable practices throughout our operations," she concluded.

The funding for Shannon and Cork airports is being allocated under the new Regional State Airports Sustainability Programme, which was announced by the Minister on 16 July as part of the high-level outcomes under the mid-term review of the Regional Airports Programme 2021-2025.

This new programme was developed to mirror the sustainability objective under the Regional Airports Programme, to support Regional State airports to reach their carbon reduction targets and build resilience against climate change.

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