The first railway tunnel powered by solar energy in Europe will be inaugurated today in Antwerp, Belgium. The tunnel has a length of 2 miles and is part of the high-speed rail route linking Paris to Amsterdam.
Using the solar power, it is expected to avoid polluting the atmosphere with 47,300 tonnes of carbon dioxide over the next two decades, according to The Telegraph.
The electricity generated by the 50,000 solar panels will provide the energy required to operate the trains that will run through the tunnel with a speed of 200 miles per hour, and for the city of Antwerp as well.
Thus, the panels will generate electricity in the amount of 3,300 MWh per year, enough to cover the power consumption of a number of 950 families.
Total cost of solar panels produced by Belgian company Enfinity, amounts to about 20.6 million dollars.
Several ongoing projects
Solar energy is seen as a means of reducing pollution from rail transportation. For example, a train is traveling in Italy with a roof made of solar panels that provide enough energy for air conditioning system operation. The cost of installing the solar panels was supported from EU funds.
The French are looking too at this technology to provide electricity for lighting and the air conditioning required in a train.