A 2-megawatt solar power plant is set to be launched at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in the near future
Installation of solar panels is underway at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant to partially meet the facility’s own electricity needs. The project involves a plant with a capacity of approximately 2 megawatts, which is scheduled to be commissioned in the near future.
This was announced by Serhiy Tarakanov, General Director of the State Specialized Enterprise “Chernobyl NPP.”
“We have almost finished installing the 2-megawatt solar panels. In another month, we will commission the plant. This will allow us to reduce our electricity bills, which account for a significant percentage of our annual budget,” he noted.
According to the plant’s director, there are currently no plans for commercial electricity production or entering the market, though such plans are not ruled out in the future.
“The government has tasked us with decommissioning the Chernobyl NPP power units and transforming the ‘Shelter’ facility into an environmentally safe system—which is exactly what we are doing,” explained Tarakanov.
He also added that he sees the future development of the Chernobyl zone in the creation of a so-called “Development Zone,” specifically for green energy projects and potential new power generation.
“There is enough space here, particularly for ‘green generation.’ And there is infrastructure here to accommodate new nuclear power units—we have sufficient water resources, and the power grid is extensive. The process of obtaining permits from local communities will also be simplified here, since no public hearings need to be held in the Exclusion Zone. This unique zone will need to be utilized in the future,” he said.
At the same time, Tarakanov expressed skepticism about the idea of using small modular reactors in the Chernobyl zone.
“You can’t install something that doesn’t exist. SMRs are just marketing hype, which I don’t support. I believe that, given the lessons of the Chernobyl accident, we should work exclusively with proven technologies. It would be more sensible to build proven high-power reactors with a high level of safety,” he emphasized.
As a reminder, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development is launching a large-scale fundraising effort to restore the damaged shelter over the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, which was struck by a Russian drone. This involves hundreds of millions of euros and a multi-year project aimed at restoring the structure to full functionality by the end of the decade. At the same time, urgent work is underway to prevent further damage to the structure. This was stated by Odile Renaud-Basso, President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, during an online briefing.
An investigation by Ukrainian prosecutors has proven that the Russian drone strike on the containment structure of the Chernobyl NPP’s Unit 4 was a deliberate act.
