New solar power plant launched in Chernobyl

A new photovoltaic plant has been put into operation in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, marking an important step towards the development of renewable energy in Ukraine. The project, which cost over 30 million hryvnias, was launched in 2019. However, in 2022, work was suspended due to the full-scale Russian invasion, and the project was only resumed in the fall of 2024.

According to the press service of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine, the plant is now fully operational and connected to the country's unified power system. The grand opening of the new facility was a state-level event - it was attended by Minister Svitlana Grinchuk, Spanish Ambassador to Ukraine Ricardo Lopez-Aranda Haga, Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Oleksandr Lytvynenko, and Head of the State Agency for the Management of the Exclusion Zone Grigory Ishchenko.

The solar power plant is built on an area of ​​13 thousand square meters. It is equipped with 2244 monocrystalline solar modules, which allow generating environmentally friendly electricity in one of the most famous man-made regions in the world. This approach is part of the strategy to transform the Chernobyl zone from a place of environmental tragedy to a platform for innovative projects.

The project was financed by funds provided by the Spanish government within the framework of obligations under the Kyoto Protocol. The document provides for limiting greenhouse gas emissions and supporting countries seeking to transition to "green" energy. Thus, the new plant has become not only an energy facility, but also an example of international cooperation in the environmental sphere.

During the visit to the exclusion zone, Svitlana Grinchuk also got acquainted with the modernized automated control system for the non-proliferation of radioactive contamination. The system, implemented with the support of the European Union, includes updated access control points, including radiometers damaged during the temporary occupation of the region by Russian troops.

The Minister paid special attention to the condition of the Shelter facility above the destroyed power unit No. 4. She inspected the damage to the Arch caused by the Russian attacks. Currently, a comprehensive assessment of the extent of the damage is underway, technical solutions are being developed to restore the structure, and sources of financing for their implementation are being sought.

The launch of the solar power plant in Chernobyl has become a vivid example of how even the zones of the largest environmental disasters can turn into symbols of sustainable development, international partnership and energy transformation.