Iași Airport, the third busiest airport in Romania, is on track to become entirely energy-independent with a planned expansion of its on-ground photovoltaic park. Located in the northeast of the country, this ambitious project was announced by the airport’s director, Romeo Vatră, who confirmed that all necessary documents were submitted just before the application deadline at the end of August. The application seeks funding from the Modernization Fund, which is expected to provide a 1-million-euro grant towards the project.
The expansion will cost a total of 3 million euros, with Iași Airport covering the remaining 2 million euros from its own funds.
“The two parks will help the airport to become energy independent, using green energy,” said Romeo Vatră, as quoted by Bursa.ro.
Five-Fold Increase in Self-Generating Capacity
Iași Airport already operates a solar park with a capacity of 1 MWh, which has been in service since autumn 2023. The upcoming expansion is significantly more ambitious, aiming to increase the airport’s self-generating capacity five-fold.
The new photovoltaic park will add 5 MWh of capacity, with solar panels spread over five hectares of land. Additionally, the project includes 2 MWh of battery storage units, further enhancing the airport’s ability to achieve sustainable energy independence.
This combined power-generating capacity from the two parks positions Iași Airport to become a leader in green energy use among airports.
Currently, the world’s first completely energy-independent airport is Pittsburgh International Airport (USA), which achieved this status in 2021 by relying on both solar power and natural gas wells drilled on its grounds. However, because natural gas is a fossil fuel, Pittsburgh’s energy independence is not entirely green.
Iași International Airport, founded in 1926, serves as a key gateway to the eastern region of Moldavia and offers connections to various European destinations.
