Pärnu to get 22,000-panel solar array
Pärnu City Council signed off on the local plan for a solar array to be built on the site of a former landfill.
Pärnu deputy mayor Rainer Aavik told ERR on Friday that the solar array will be large, to be built on the site of the city's former landfill that was closed in 2011.
"The territory is more than 30 hectares large, and about 25 percent of it is going to be covered with solar panels," Aavik said. The project calls for the installation of some 22,000 panels on a concrete foundation.
Though the landfill has been closed for years, the construction will require some care on the part of the contractor. The whole area is currently covered with a layer of geotextile fabric to keep pollution of the surrounding areas to a minimum.
There aren't many residential plots nearby, but there is a wetland area under environmental protection. "But that shouldn't cause any problems," Aavik said, adding that the city's administration is hoping for the planning process to move along quickly. The area of the former landfill is sizable and currently completely unused, which isn't feasible for a city environment, he added.
If everything goes according to plan, the solar array could be finished a few years from now.
Editor: Dario Cavegn