The airport plans to become a net zero emissions hub by 2035 with plans to construct the new facility between 2022 and 2035

Newcastle International Airport has announced its plans to submit an application to construct a solar farm on the hub’s land.

The facility has also launched a public information process to gain feedback on the proposals, which allows local residents and stakeholders to have an input before submission.

In January last year, the airport released its roadmap which outlined strategies to become a net zero emissions business by 2035. This is ahead of the majority of European hubs which are aiming towards this goal by 2050.

Newcastle International’s ability to generate renewable energy was identified as a key factor in achieving its sustainability objectives.

“The solar farm project is a key part of our Net Zero strategy, allowing us to generate our own renewable energy and contribute to the government’s net zero objectives and the City of Newcastle’s Carbon Net Zero 2030 strategy,” said Nick Jones, chief executive of Newcastle International Airport.

“We are confident that the proposed scheme will have limited impact on the surrounding communities. We have added additional tree planting to screen the view of the solar farm from the surrounding roads and public rights of way and have been working with a specialist environmental team to ensure the ecological impact of the scheme is minimal and that biodiversity net gain will be achieved.”

If the solar farm is approved, it is set to be built in four phases between 2022 and 2035. It is expected to be capable to producing up to 16MW of electricity and hopes to provide 100% of the airport’s electricity requirements.

The scheme is also set to use battery units to help store excess energy for use in the evenings and on days with less sun.