A long-awaited renewable energy project has finally come to fruition on the site of the worst nuclear disaster in history.
Chernobyl is a Ukrainian city that was abandoned in 1986 following a massive explosion caused by their nuclear reactor. The disaster polluted the surrounding area with radiation, making it mostly inaccessible – until now.
Earlier this week, a new 3,800-panel solar farm was launched on the contaminated grounds of Chernobyl, and it is expected to power roughly 2,000 homes.
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It is reportedly the first time that power has been produced inside of the 1,000-square-mile exclusion zone since the plant was shut down in 2000.
The $1.2 million solar project was facilitated by Ukrainian company Rodina and Germany’s Enerparc AG. The farm is set to start selling electricity in July as a part of Ukraine’s feed-in tariff policy.
“It’s not just another solar power plant,” Evhen Variagin, the chief executive of Solar Chernobyl LLC, told Reuters. “It’s really hard to underestimate the symbolism of this particular project.”
Power Up With Positivity: Share The Good News With Your Friends On Social Media – Photo by Solar Chernobyl