Düsseldorf Airport commissions 16 MW solar array next to runway

Düsseldorf Airport has commissioned a 16 MW solar installation located directly alongside its runway, the largest photovoltaic facility of its kind at a German airport. Spanning approximately 140,000 square metres and comprising over 31,000 panels mounted on more than 7,500 foundations, the array is capable of powering the equivalent of around 4,200 households annually.

The installation was built and will be operated over the next 25 years by energy company ZPV under a power purchase agreement model. All electricity generated feeds directly into the airport’s own grid, covering around 16% of its annual energy consumption of 93.3 million kWh. The project is complemented by a battery storage system with a capacity of up to 25 MWh, and is estimated to avoid approximately 3,650 tonnes of CO₂ emissions per year.

The project demonstrates that high-traffic infrastructure sites can actively contribute to the energy transition. The installation was completed during live airport operations (a point of particular note given its proximity to the runway), and has already attracted interest from airports across Europe and Asia.

More details and pictures are available in Düsseldorf Airport’s official statement (in German).