Solar power plant at the Chernobyl nuclear grave

A solar power plant has been almost completed at the Chernobyl nuclear disaster site in Ukraine, capable of supplying 1 MW of renewable energy to the local grid,Science AlertJanuary 13 news.

The new power plant is located 100 meters from the Object Shelter, the giant metal and concrete sarcophagus that covered the stricken reactor to prevent radioactive leaks from the ruins of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant.

The explosion that occurred on April 26, 1986 at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant was one of the two worst nuclear disasters in history, along with the accident in Fukushima, Japan. The installation of solar panels shows the hope of turning the area into a useful place, instead of just causing harm to the Earth.

"The new solar power plant can meet the electricity needs of a medium-sized village with about 2,000 households.", said Yevgen Varyagin, director of Solar Chernobyl, the company that operates the project. The entire area could then produce 100 times more electricity than it did initially.

The land in the Chernobyl disaster zone is still heavily contaminated. Ukrainian authorities say it will take 24,000 years before it is safe for people to return to live there.

The new solar power plant has an area of ​​about 16,000 m², which includes 3,800 photovoltaic panels that convert sunlight into electricity. The solar panels are fixed to concrete slabs rather than placed on the ground, as drilling and digging into the ground is still prohibited.

Another advantage of the project is that the solar power plant is already connected to the grid thanks to the remaining infrastructure of the former nuclear power plant. "We want to optimize the Chernobyl area bit by bit. It should not become a black spot in the center of Ukraine," Varyagin said.