The first solar power plant has appeared in the Chernobyl zone.

The first solar power plant has been opened in the Chernobyl exclusion zone. Another station is planned to be built. This was reported by 'Gromadske' referring to RBC-Ukraine.

'We chose Chernobyl to turn the exclusion zone into a zone of revival. Moreover, there are many solar areas here that are no longer suitable for agricultural lands,' explained Svetlana Grynychuk, the Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine.

The station was built 100 meters from the sarcophagus of the reactor that exploded in 1986. The complex of the station consists of nearly 3,800 solar panels. The capacity of the first solar power plant in the Chernobyl zone is 763 kW, and the area of construction is almost 4,000 square meters.

Grynychuk noted that discussions about the construction started back in 2019, but the process was delayed due to the war.

The construction cost is reported to be 30 million hryvnias. The solar power plant will provide electricity to administrative buildings and facilities in the Exclusion Zone.

It is worth noting that in 2024, the State Specialized Enterprise 'Chernobyl NPP' announced the arrival of the first components for the construction of a photovoltaic power plant at the Chernobyl NPP industrial site. This became possible thanks to international humanitarian assistance.

Analysis:

The opening of the first solar power plant in the Chernobyl exclusion zone is significant for transforming this area into a zone of revival. Installing solar panels on contaminated sites that became unsuitable for agricultural use allows them to be used for the production of clean energy. The construction of another power plant will also contribute to the increase in solar energy production in the Chernobyl zone. An important advantage of the project is its ecological cleanliness and absence of threats to the environment. According to estimates, solar power plants will be able to provide electricity to all administrative buildings and facilities in the Chernobyl exclusion zone.