First Solar Panels to Be Installed in Chornobyl Exclusion Zone in 2017

The fleet of solar panels will be constructed in the special industrial area, which occupies one third of Chornobyl Exclusion Zone. This was stated by Vitalii Petruk, Head of the State Agency of Ukraine on Exclusion Zone Management, on 05 April 2017 during the briefing in Chornobyl within press tour “Current State of Flora and Fauna in Chornobyl Exclusion Zone”.

“Last year we started a pilot project on launching of solar panels, and pilot panels will soon be used”, said Vitalii Petruk.

First solar panels are planned to be commissioned this year. These will be the panels that have been tested within the pilot project since March 2016 and that are now ready to be launched and to supply power to the energy market of Ukraine.

Solar power plants will be built under private investments in the territories having the necessary infrastructure: paved areas, territory free from forest, power lines, roads, etc.

“It is difficult to say how servicing of this complex will impact flora and fauna of this area. However, taking into account the area of the Exclusion Zone and area that can be occupied by industrial facilities, I do not see the big problem here”, said Serhii Hashchak, Deputy Director of the International Radiological Laboratory of the Chornobyl Center for Nuclear Safety, Radioactive Waste and Radioecology.

For references: according to information of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Ukraine, investors have submitted 52 applications to install solar panels in Chornobyl Exclusion Zone. Ostap Semerak, Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of Ukraine, stated that active position of the companies in applying to install solar panels and their locations show increased interest of the international renewable energy market to invest into the development of Ukrainian market.

More pictures of Exclusion Zone here.

Uatom.org editorial board