JinkoSolar Holding Co., a five-year-old solar power product manufacturer based in China, announced on June 15 that 16,000 of the company's monocrystalline solar panels have been installed on top of the two-mile-long high-speed rail (HSL4) tunnel in Antwerp, Belgium.

The $22.3 million Solar Tunnel project is the first of its kind in Europe—and the first time anywhere that rail infrastructure has been used to generate green energy. The installation should generate an estimated 3,300 megawatts per hour of electricity—equivalent to the average annual electricity consumption of nearly 1,000 homes.

Looking ahead, 4,000 trains using the Belgian rail network per year – equivalent to one full day of rail traffic – will be able to run entirely on solar energy. The solar energy also will be used to power the railway infrastructure (signals, lights) in the Antwerp North-South junction, as well as to heat the Antwerp Central Station.

The solar installation is the result of a collaboration between Belgian rail operator Infrabel, renewable energy developer Enfinity Group , the municipalities of Brasschaat and Schoten, intermunicipal financing companies FINEA and IKA, and solar construction company Solar Power Systems.

"The concept of using solar energy to provide a cleaner, more cost-efficient means to power major transportation systems is coming to a great success and pioneer application with the installation of our JinkoSolar panels onto the Solar Tunnel," said Arturo Herrero, Chief Marketing Officer of JinkoSolar. "Together with all the partners in the Solar Tunnel project, JinkoSolar is committed to playing its part to significantly reduce the negative impact of transportation on our environment."

Steven De Tollenaere, CEO of Enfinity Group stated, "We consider Jinko as a key partner in this Solar Tunnel project; the more than 16,000 of … Jinko panel [s]… are ideal for this kind of solar rooftop installation here in Belgium. They deliver a perfect performance for this first Solar Train project ever."

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Cheryl Kaften is an accomplished communicator who has written for consumer and corporate audiences. She has worked extensively for MasterCard (News - Alert) Worldwide, Philip Morris USA (Altria), and KPMG, and has consulted for Estee Lauder and the Philadelphia Inquirer Newspapers. To read more of her articles, please visit her columnist page.

Edited by Carrie Schmelkin