A new 2 MW photovoltaic power plant has begun operated at the Chornobyl NPP industrial site, serving as an additional backup power source for the New Safe Confinement (NSC). The completion of the photovoltaic plant's construction was marked by an official ceremony on September 9.

The project was implemented with the support of UNDP and the governments of Lithuania and Japan. Notably, in 2024, Lithuania provided 7,296 solar panels and 17 grid-tie inverters as humanitarian aid via the AidEnergy platform. The installation of the power plant was carried out by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) with financial support from the Government of Japan, amounting to approximately USD 825,000.

"Across Ukraine, UNDP supports the development of renewable energy to strengthen energy resilience and accelerate the country’s transition to a ‘green’ energy. The new photovoltaic power plant is currently our largest solar generation project in Ukraine, embodies these efforts at a site whose safety is of global importance”, commented Alexander De Croo, UNDP Administrator and UN Coordinator of International Cooperation on Chornobyl, who previously served as Prime Minister of Belgium for five years.

His Excellency Yo Osumi, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Ukraine, noted that Ukraine and Japan are united by decades of cooperation in addressing the aftermath of the Chornobyl disaster, as well as by the shared experience of the accidents at the Chornobyl and Fukushima nuclear power plants.

“Today, this cooperation continues through strengthening the resilience of the Chornobyl NPP and supporting its transition to clean energy sources. In a broader context, Japan steadfastly supports Ukraine in protecting critical infrastructure and building long-term resilience”, - Yo Osumi stated.

The installation of the equipment and its connection to the Chornobyl NPP power grid took four months, with the work carried out by a team of 12 specialists.

They installed photovoltaic modules on 180 mounting structures using approximately 90 tons of steel, laid about 60 kilometers of cable, and equipped the grounding, electrical, and lightning protection systems required to commission the new photovoltaic power plant.

The plant is expected to generate over 2 million kWh of electricity per year, which will cover about 5% of the electricity consumption of the Chornobyl NPP infrastructure facilities and reduce energy supply costs.

"Today’s sunny weather makes it a perfect day to launch the solar power plant. We can now state that, starting today, the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant will begin generating electricity again for the first time since 2000, when its last nuclear power unit was shut down. Now it is clean solar energy. I would like to thank the governments of Japan and Lithuania, as well as the United Nations Development Programme, for your long-standing and dedicated support of Ukraine, and the Chornobyl NPP in particular. This project became a reality thanks to you”, emphasized Serhii Tarakanov, Director General of the Chornobyl NPP.