A giant solar power plant will be built in Chernobyl?

Ukrainian authorities intend to develop the site of the former Chernobyl nuclear power plant and build a solar power plant there. However, the problem is the country’s unstable political situation, which effectively deters investors.

After the April 1986 nuclear disaster, the area wokół of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant has been included in a 30-kilometer exclusion zone. All residentsóin the areaóin resettled. Scientists estimate that the contaminated area will not be suitable for human habitation for the next 24,000 years. Ukrainian authorities wanted to somehowób to develop the area, so the idea of creating a solar power plant there has been floated.

The idea of a solar farm in Chernobyl is supported by the energy infrastructure of the timeóin the operation of the nuclear power plant yet. This could significantly reduce the cost of building a photovoltaic power plant. Another plus is that the area around theóChernobyl field.

However, Ukraine alone is unable to bear the cost of theóin the construction of such a project. Authorities are looking for an investoróin foreign countries, whichóThose who will help build the solar farm. Potentially interested in helping build the plant is the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, whichóry managed the financial side of the construction of the ark, whichóra in late November last year covered up the old concrete sarcophagus. But the institution is setting conditions in the form of finding a few more investorsów willing to finance the construction.

Authorities intend to transfer six thousand. hectareóin the areaów zony. There are plans to build a farm, whichóra would provide 1 GW of electricity. The estimated cost of such an installation is one billion euros.

According to Bloomberg news agency, 13 foreign investors have signed up to participate in the constructionów. The most serious seem to be the Chinese, whoóers have already visited the site several times. China National Complete Engineering Corp along with GCL System Integration Technology are ready to start work later this year.

Amongród projectów are also those whoóre mótie about the construction of the solar plant, whichóra would generate 4 GW of electricity. This is the project presented by local investorsóIn conjunction with consortia from the US and Canada. However, this project seems to be unrealistic.

The deadline for submitting applications for the tender is March 1. However, the whole plan may be thwarted by the bad political situation in Ukraine. Conflict with Russia in the east of the country deters potential investorsów, without whichórych project has no chance of implementation.

Giant ark will protect us from Chernobyl

At the end of November, reactor 4 of the former Chernobyl nuclear power plant was covered with a so-called. ark. The steel structure is expected to protect the outside world from radiation for the next 100 years. The earlier concrete sarcophagus, whichóry was created just after the 1986 disaster was beginning to crack and there was a risk of further contamination of the site. The new structure is 162 meters long, 257 metersóin width, and is 108 meters highów. It weighs about 36,000 tons. 10,000 workers worked on its constructionów.

In April 1986, there was a reactor explosion at the Chernobyl power plant. During the experimental shutdown of the reactor, the reactor’s cooling circuit failed. The explosion caused a fire, który lasted nine days and który spewed huge amounts of material into the atmosphereóin radioactive.

The explosion at the power plant led to the contamination of more than 100,000. kilometeróin square footage. The most affected areas were those located in Belarus, but the contamination has reached róalso over Scandinavia and also over Poland. All residents have been evicted from the zone surrounding the power plantów.