Ukraine launches its first solar plant in the abandoned area around the former nuclear power station.
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| A new solar power plant has been built at the site of the former Chernobyl nuclear power station |
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| The Chernobyl plant was the site of a catastrophic nuclear disaster in 1986 |
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| Radioactive material was released into the atmosphere across parts of Europe, leading to a rise in cases of thyroid cancer |
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| The area around the plant is now part of an exclusion zone spanning 1,000 square miles (2,600 sq km) |
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| The Chernobyl plant was decommissioned and forced to close in 2000 |
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| Ukraine has now launched its first solar plant in the abandoned area around the former power station |
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| The country's government wants renewable energy companies to develop the abandoned land |
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| The site will create enough energy to power around 2,000 households |
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| However people will not be able to return to live in the evacuated zone for another 24,000 years, Ukrainian authorities say |
