Europe’s first solar powered tunnel planned for Paris-Amsterdam high-speed rail link

The Paris-Amsterdam rail link is geared up to play host to Europe’s first solar powered tunnel. Running a length of 2.1 miles, the tunnel will use about 50,000 solar panels that will bath in the sun and generate enough energy to satisfy the tunnels electricity-appetite. The energy will, besides powering up the electric trains passing by, also be used to power the lights in the tunnel and will be installed by Belgian solar power company Enfinity. Covering an area equivalent to that of eight football pitches, these solar panels will cost a mighty £12.6 million and will generate an annual estimate of 3,300 MWh, enough to power up 950 homes.

Using solar panels to power up this tunnel will help the railways keep about 47.3 million kilograms of Co2 emissions out of the air over the next 20 years. The high speed train corridor will have trains travelling between Paris and Amsterdam at about 186 miles per hour, in a green and eco-friendly manner.
[Telegraph]