China National Complete Engineering Corp (CCEC) and GCL System Integration Technology (GCL-SI) plan to construct the PV plant in the 1,000-square mile exclusion zone of forest and marshland that surrounds the Chernobyl reactor.
After the fateful Chernobyl nuclear reactor explosion that took place 30 years ago, the government of Ukraine has decided to turn the nuclear fallout region into a place which can harness the power of the sun by establishing a solar plant.
Due to the explosion, about 30km2 of land had been contaminated by large quantities of radiation.
In October this year, the Ukraine government’s Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources came up with a plan to build a PV plant in the exclusion zone.
Ukraine minister of environment and natural resources Ostap Semerak said: “Its cheap land and abundant sunlight constitute a solid foundation for the project. In addition, the remaining electric transmission facilities are ready for reuse.”
CCEC will act as the general contractor and will manage the overall project. On the other hand, GCL-SI within the capacity of a consultant, will offer planning services and supply and install the solar modules for the project.
The 1GW solar plant is expected to start in 2017. Once the solar plant is completed, the companies expect to see a new chapter in Chernobyl’s history, as a revived site for solar energy.
GCL-SI chairman Shu Hua said: "There will be remarkable social benefits and economical ones as we try to renovate the once damaged area with green and renewable energy.
“We are glad that we are making joint efforts with Ukraine to rebuild the community for the local people."
Shu further said: "We have been dedicated to providing integrated solar services and will take diverse approaches this year to drive penetration and achieve global presence.
“The Chernobyl project is also one of our key steps to approach abroad."
