An airport in Belfast will soon be powered by solar energy.

Lightsource Renewable Energy has signed a 25-year agreement with Belfast International Airport for what it claims will be the largest solar farm to connect to an airport in the UK.

It will be developed and operated by the renewable firm and have a total capacity of 4.84MW.

The airport will buy the electricity generated via a private wire, connecting the installation directly to the user and not the national grid.

The project is expected to meet 27% of the airport’s power demand and help reduce more than 2,300 tonnes of carbon emissions per year.

Nick Boyle, CEO at Lightsource said: “There remains huge opportunity for solar energy around the UK and Ireland. Industries around the world have a growing appetite for reliable renewable technologies that help them gain control of spiralling energy costs and reduce their carbon footprint. Large-scale PPA solar projects provide businesses with an opportunity to do just that by allowing them to fix their energy costs without the need for upfront investment.”

Earlier this month ELN visited Europe’s largest floating solar power plant in Greater London – a private wire project between Lightsource and Thames Water.