At ground zero of Ukraine's Chernobyl tragedy, workers in orange vests are busy erecting hundreds of dark-coloured panels as the country gets ready to launch its first solar plant to revive what is now desolate, abandoned territory.
The new one-megawatt power plant is located just a hundred metres from the new "sarcophagus", a giant metal dome sealing the remains of the 1986 Chernobyl accident, the worst nuclear disaster in the world.
"This solar power plant can cover the needs of a medium-sized village", or about 2,000 flats, said Yevgen Varyagin, the head of the Ukrainian-German company Solar Chernobyl which carried out the project. The solar installation is to go on stream within weeks.
The group has spent one million euros (Dh 4.4 million) on the structure which has about 3,800 photovoltaic panels installed across an area of 1.6 hectares - about the size of two football fields - and hopes the investment will pay for itself within seven years.
"The amount of sunshine here is the same as in the south of Germany," says Mr Varyagin.
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Radioactive cloud that smothered Europe came from Russia
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Ukraine, which has stopped buying natural gas from Russia in the last two years, is seeking to exploit the potential of the Chernobyl exclusion zone that surrounds the damaged nuclear power plant. It is uninhabited and cannot be farmed.
Reactor Number Four of the Chernobyl plant exploded on April 26, 1986 and the fallout contaminated up to three quarters of Europe, according to some estimates, especially hitting Russia, Ukraine and Belarus.
Following the disaster, Soviet authorities evacuated hundreds of thousands of people and this vast territory, over 2,000 square kilometres wide, has remained abandoned. The plant continued to operate the remaining reactors, the last of which was shut down in 2000, ending industrial activity in the area.
People cannot return to live in the zone for "more than 24,000 years", according to the Ukrainian authorities, who nevertheless argue that prudent industrial use is possible again.
"This territory obviously cannot be used for agriculture, but it is quite suitable for innovative and scientific projects," said Ostap Semerak, Ukrainian environment minister and one of the promoters of placing solar projects in Chernobyl, in 2016.
A huge dome was installed last year to cover the ruins of the damaged reactor to ensure greater isolation of the highly radioactive magma in the reactor. As a result, radiation near the plant plummeted to just one-tenth of previous levels, according to official figures.
Even so, precautions are still necessary: the solar panels are fixed onto a base of concrete blocks rather than placed on the ground. The strict safety rules forbid drilling or digging into the earth, as the soil remains contaminated.
Last year the consortium — a joint venture between the Ukrainian firm Rodina Energy Group and Germany's Enerparc AG — completed a 4.2-megawatt solar power plant in the irradiated zone in neighbouring Belarus, just over the border from Chernobyl.
Ukrainian authorities offered investors nearly 2,500 hectares — 25 square kilometres - for potential construction of solar power plants in Chernobyl.
The five pillars of Islam
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5.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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UAE tour of the Netherlands
UAE squad: Rohan Mustafa (captain), Shaiman Anwar, Ghulam Shabber, Mohammed Qasim, Rameez Shahzad, Mohammed Usman, Adnan Mufti, Chirag Suri, Ahmed Raza, Imran Haider, Mohammed Naveed, Amjad Javed, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed
Fixtures: Monday, first 50-over match; Wednesday, second 50-over match; Thursday, third 50-over match
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
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MATCH INFO
Kolkata Knight Riders 245/6 (20 ovs)
Kings XI Punjab 214/8 (20 ovs)
Kolkata won by 31 runs
Zayed Sustainability Prize
The specs: 2018 Audi Q5/SQ5
Price, base: Dh183,900 / Dh249,000
Engine: 2.0L, turbocharged in-line four-cylinder / 3.0L, turbocharged V6
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic / Eight-speed automatic
Power: 252hp @ 5,000rpm / 354hp @ 5,400rpm
Torque: 370Nm @ 1,600rpm / 500Nm @ 1,370rpm
Fuel economy: combined 7.2L / 100km / 8.3L / 100km
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War on waste
Tomorrow 2021
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What are the influencer academy modules?
- Mastery of audio-visual content creation.
- Cinematography, shots and movement.
- All aspects of post-production.
- Emerging technologies and VFX with AI and CGI.
- Understanding of marketing objectives and audience engagement.
- Tourism industry knowledge.
- Professional ethics.
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Damien McElroy: A CEO tasked with spreading Iran's influence
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RedCrow Intelligence Company Profile
Started: 2016
Founders: Hussein Nasser Eddin, Laila Akel, Tayeb Akel
Based: Ramallah, Palestine
Sector: Technology, Security
# of staff: 13
Investment: $745,000
Investors: Palestine’s Ibtikar Fund, Abu Dhabi’s Gothams and angel investors
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KINGDOM%20OF%20THE%20PLANET%20OF%20THE%20APES
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Heavily-sugared soft drinks slip through the tax net
Some popular drinks with high levels of sugar and caffeine have slipped through the fizz drink tax loophole, as they are not carbonated or classed as an energy drink.
Arizona Iced Tea with lemon is one of those beverages, with one 240 millilitre serving offering up 23 grams of sugar - about six teaspoons.
A 680ml can of Arizona Iced Tea costs just Dh6.
Most sports drinks sold in supermarkets were found to contain, on average, five teaspoons of sugar in a 500ml bottle.
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- Alistair Burt: Despite Brexit, Britain can remain a world power
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Matthew Levitt: Iran retains its ability to launch terror attacks
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Scorebox
Dubai Hurricanes 31 Dubai Sports City Eagles 22
Hurricanes
Tries: Finck, Powell, Jordan, Roderick, Heathcote
Cons: Tredray 2, Powell
Eagles
Tries: O’Driscoll 2, Ives
Cons: Carey 2
Pens: Carey
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Book%20Details
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2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
The essentials
What: Emirates Airline Festival of Literature
When: Friday until March 9
Where: All main sessions are held in the InterContinental Dubai Festival City
Price: Sessions range from free entry to Dh125 tickets, with the exception of special events.
Hot Tip: If waiting for your book to be signed looks like it will be timeconsuming, ask the festival’s bookstore if they have pre-signed copies of the book you’re looking for. They should have a bunch from some of the festival’s biggest guest authors.
Information: www.emirateslitfest.com
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – FINAL RECKONING
Director: Christopher McQuarrie
Starring: Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Simon Pegg
Rating: 4/5
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