A 2-MW solar power plant has begun operating at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant
A new 2-MW solar power plant has begun operating on the grounds of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant; it will provide power to the facility’s critical infrastructure. This in-house power generation will cover 5% of the industrial site’s annual consumption and will supply electricity to the New Safe Confinement, radioactive waste management facilities, and spent nuclear fuel storage facilities.
The project, costing over $825,000, was implemented with support from UNDP and the governments of Lithuania and Japan. Lithuania provided 7,296 solar panels and 17 grid-connected inverters as part of humanitarian aid, while UNDP, with funding from Japan, provided additional equipment, installation, and commissioning of the plant.
By generating 2 million kWh of electricity per year, the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant will be able to save approximately $365,000 annually, and the savings will be used to upgrade equipment for the safe decommissioning of the plant. In total, the installed capacity of solar power plants in Ukraine has reached 7.6 GW.
First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy Denys Shmyhal announced this on Telegram.
Within the Chernobyl Radiation-Ecological Biosphere Reserve, scientists and staff have managed to track a unique herd of feral cows. It is extremely difficult to spot the animals in the summer—due to the abundance of food in the forest, they are constantly on the move and vanish instantly at the slightest sign of human presence.
The presence of the golden jackal has been officially confirmed in the Chernobyl Radiation and Ecological Biosphere Reserve. The animal had previously been detected through tracks and camera traps, but its presence has only now been definitively confirmed.
Alona Shevtsova, CEO of Sends, will moderate a panel discussion at the executive level during the 17th Middle East Banking Innovation Summit (MEBIS 2026), which will take place on September 16–17 at the Jumeirah Emirates Towers in Dubai.
