The regional airport in Macaé, Rio de Janeiro state—gateway to Brazil’s offshore oil hub—announced on 6 November 2025 that it has completed financing for a 5.5 MW solar farm that will make the facility the first in the country powered entirely by renewable energy. According to concession-holder Zurich Airport Brasil, installation will begin in December and the plant will come online during the second quarter of 2026.
Although the R$ 28 million (US$ 5.6 million) investment is modest by energy-infrastructure standards, its impact on operating costs and carbon accounting is significant. Electricity accounts for roughly 30 % of the airport’s controllable expenses; management expects the switch to cut the utility bill by up to 70 % and provide a hedge against volatile grid prices. The project will also eliminate an estimated 4 200 tonnes of CO₂ per year, helping oil-and-gas service companies that use the airport meet Scope 3 emission targets for employee travel.
![Macaé Airport Goes Solar: Terminal to Run on 100 % Clean Energy from 2026]()
From a mobility perspective, Macaé’s move underscores how secondary airports are positioning themselves as greener, more resilient alternatives for corporations with aggressive ESG commitments. Zurich Airport Brasil has already signed memoranda with Petrobras and a cluster of international energy majors to promote the site as the preferred embarkation point for offshore crew changes.
The initiative dovetails with Brazil’s broader push to decarbonise aviation. The Ministry of Ports and Airports is finalising a ‘Green Airports’ incentive scheme that will allow operators investing in renewable energy or SAF (sustainable aviation fuel) infrastructure to deduct part of the cost from concession fees. Macaé’s experience will likely serve as a pilot case for the programme.
Travel managers should note that while passenger volumes remain modest—about 500 000 per year—Macaé’s clean-energy branding could influence CSR-based route-selection decisions. Expect similar solar or hybrid projects to be announced at other regional airports over the next 12 months as competition for ESG-conscious charter contracts intensifies.
Although the R$ 28 million (US$ 5.6 million) investment is modest by energy-infrastructure standards, its impact on operating costs and carbon accounting is significant. Electricity accounts for roughly 30 % of the airport’s controllable expenses; management expects the switch to cut the utility bill by up to 70 % and provide a hedge against volatile grid prices. The project will also eliminate an estimated 4 200 tonnes of CO₂ per year, helping oil-and-gas service companies that use the airport meet Scope 3 emission targets for employee travel.
From a mobility perspective, Macaé’s move underscores how secondary airports are positioning themselves as greener, more resilient alternatives for corporations with aggressive ESG commitments. Zurich Airport Brasil has already signed memoranda with Petrobras and a cluster of international energy majors to promote the site as the preferred embarkation point for offshore crew changes.
The initiative dovetails with Brazil’s broader push to decarbonise aviation. The Ministry of Ports and Airports is finalising a ‘Green Airports’ incentive scheme that will allow operators investing in renewable energy or SAF (sustainable aviation fuel) infrastructure to deduct part of the cost from concession fees. Macaé’s experience will likely serve as a pilot case for the programme.
Travel managers should note that while passenger volumes remain modest—about 500 000 per year—Macaé’s clean-energy branding could influence CSR-based route-selection decisions. Expect similar solar or hybrid projects to be announced at other regional airports over the next 12 months as competition for ESG-conscious charter contracts intensifies.
