The story of Chernobyl seems straight out of a dystopian novel. The world’s worst nuclear disaster, Chernobyl, is all covered with green flora after 30 years when the disaster struck. The area, high on radiation is still unsafe to visit. But now, Pripyat, the ghost town of Chernobyl is transforming its ways. Ukraine and Germany are preparing to launch Solar Chernobyl, a project to build a solar farm right next to the Chernobyl reactors.
The infamous nuclear plant of Chernobyl located in Ukraine is all ruins and still emitting deadly radioactive radiations but after numerous abandoned years, the place is ready to generate electricity again. And this time, the energy will be provided by the sun.
4,000 photovoltaic panels have already been fitted atop a concrete tomb covering the radioactive waste. Ukraine plans to reduce dependency on electricity brought from Russia by harnessing clean energy from solar, wind, biomass and biogas output. According to Ukraine’s National Investment Council, Ukraine aims to boost 11 percent of its power generation from renewable energy by 2020. By the end of 2017, Ukraine has already achieved a capacity of 1.2 gigawatts through solar energy which is enough to power 200,000 homes. Ukraine is on its way to become energy independent.
Although the zone around Chernobyl is still unfit for mass population to settle and it will stay abandoned for many generations, the area is abundant in sunlight. The Ukrainian government is inviting companies from all over the world to put the vast empty area to use. Solar Chernobyl SPP is one such project, a partnership between Ukrainian entrepreneur Yevgen Variagin’s Rodina Energy Group and Hamburg-based Enerparc AG.
A Brief on the Disaster of Chernobyl
The great disaster of Chernobyl struck in April 1986 at the Chernobyl nuclear power station in the Soviet Union. It is often called the worst disaster in the history of nuclear power generation. Located in Pripyat town near the city of Chernobyl, the station consisted of four reactors established between 1977 and 1983.
When an experiment went awry on unit 4, the power regulating system was shut down but the chain reaction went out of control and triggered a large fireball and blew off the heavy steel and concrete lid of the reactor. Large amounts of radioactive material released into the atmosphere.
The whole town of Pripyat, around 30,000 inhabitants, had no choice but to evacuate the area. Many surrounding towns evacuated as quickly as possible. Around 50 individuals were killed in the accident. And thousands of people suffered from radiations. Animals and plants also faced consequences of the disaster. After facing severe criticism, unit 2 was shut down after a fire in 1991, unit 1 in 1996 and unit 3 remained active until 2000.
Now, after 30 years of the horrific incident, the radiation stricken place looks like a Zombieland. The pictures of abandoned buildings, schools, houses all in ruins send a shiver down the spine. The broken chairs, rust covered pieces of machinery, the ruins of the buildings, the abandoned Ferris wheel creates a haunted aura.
The radiation released by the catastrophic disaster was at least 100 times more than the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The researchers estimated that no life would be possible in the area for many years. Yet to the surprise of many, animals and plants are thriving in Chernobyl. The trees and plants are over the place although they are defiled with radiations. Wolves, dogs, lynxes, foxes, horses are increasing in the area. It is a thing to ponder how these animals are able to cope with the radiation filled area. Chernobyl is now considered as the world’s most unique wildlife sanctuaries. The miracles of nature still remain a thing to wonder.
However, for humans, that’s not the case. The exclusion zone remained closed to visitors for a long time. But now some parts are opened for the tourists now that the radiations have been dropped. Around 10,000 tourists visit the site after every year. The visitors are required to go through multiple security checkpoints and are tested for radioactivity on the way out.
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