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