After the accident at the fourth power unit of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in April 1986, tons of radionuclides — strontium, cesium, uranium and plutonium — were released into the atmosphere. Their extremely long half-lives made the exclusion zone one of the most dangerous places on the planet, and even after almost four decades, the situation remains difficult.
Radiation background and recovery times
According to the head of the State Agency for the Management of the Exclusion Zone (SAZV), Hryhoriy Ishchenko, in the 39 years since the disaster, the level of radiation background has practically not decreased. The most dangerous elements — plutonium and uranium — decay for hundreds and thousands of generations, and their half-life reaches 20,000 years.
"The experts' optimistic forecast is that the zone may become suitable for permanent human habitation no earlier than in 20,000 years," Ishchenko noted.
Part of the territory still remains closed, but specially tested routes are open for tourism. They are considered safe, provided that instructions and radiation safety rules are strictly followed.
Green energy at the epicenter of the disaster
Despite the environmental risks, the Chernobyl zone is gradually becoming a platform for new technologies. One of the directions has been the introduction of renewable energy.
This year, with the support of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and foreign investors, a 762 kW solar power plant was commissioned in Chernobyl. Another 1 MW Solar station is already operating next to the NPP itself. Together, they produce about 1.7 MW of “clean” energy, and plans include scaling up to 2 GW.
From the tragedy zone to the platform of the future
Chernobyl still reminds us of one of the greatest man-made disasters in human history. At the same time, the region is beginning a new stage of transformation: from a territory unsuitable for life, it is gradually becoming a space for experiments in the field of "green" energy and environmental projects. However, the path to full recovery and safe living is measured not in decades, but in millennia.
