Canberra Airport Powers Ahead with Solar and Battery Investment
Canberra Airport is expanding its solar generation and battery storage to reduce emissions, strengthen
operational resilience and improve the environmental performance of one of the ACT region’s most important infrastructure precincts.
The latest works form part of a staged rollout across the terminal and broader airport precinct, with the current terminal solar project due to complete this year. Once complete, Canberra Airport will have 5.25 MW of solar installed across the airport and its precincts, making it the largest rooftop solar installation in the region. The project includes 18 battery units with a combined storage capacity of just over 4 MWh, equivalent to around 300 household batteries.
Together, the solar panels and battery system will allow Canberra Airport to generate and store a significant portion of its electricity on site, supporting approximately 41 per cent energy independence.
The batteries will also improve energy resilience, providing enough stored energy to operate at full output for approximately two hours in the event of a power outage.
The terminal project is expected to offset approximately 2,696.6 tonnes of CO₂-e each year, equivalent to taking about 586 passenger vehicles off the road for a year.
Canberra Airport Chief Executive Officer Stephen Byron said the solar expansion reflected the airport’s
28-year commitment to environmental stewardship, with sustainability embedded in how the airport is designed, powered and operated.
“For nearly three decades, we have made deliberate decisions to reduce our environmental impact while continuing to grow as the gateway for Canberra and the region. This investment is the next step in that journey,” Mr Byron said.
“Over that time, we have delivered Australia’s first 5-Star Green Star-rated office building, invested in water-saving initiatives including rainwater capture and greywater recycling, introduced food waste recycling through a large-scale worm farm, achieved Level 4 Airport Carbon Accreditation in 2025 and continued to invest in initiatives that reduce our environmental footprint across the airport precinct,” Mr Byron said.
“The solar and battery investment is part of a broader sustainability program built over many years and supports Canberra Airport’s pathway towards net zero Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2030,” Mr Byron said.
Canberra Airport Sustainability Manager Karlien Bentley said the battery system played an important role in storing renewable energy and strengthening the airport’s operational resilience.
“It allows us to store excess solar energy and use it when it is needed, strengthening resilience while reducing our reliance on the grid,” Ms Bentley said.
“For us, sustainability is not a single project. It is a long-term approach to how we design, power and operate Canberra Airport,” Ms Bentley said.
The latest solar and battery investment adds significant new capacity to Canberra Airport’s long-running sustainability program across its buildings, operations, infrastructure and surrounding environment.
The solar expansion reinforces Canberra Airport’s role as the gateway to the National Capital and as a major regional employment, transport and business precinct.