World's largest solar bridge in London under construction

It will be the symbol of sustainable mobility and environmentally friendly in the heart of one of the most important cities on the planet is the Blackfriars Bridge in London as it prepares to become the largest bridge in the world calendar. They are in fact just begun work on installing more than 4,400 panels, capable of generating electricity equal to 900,000 kWh annually.

It 'was one of the landmarks of Victorian London and industrial in 1886 was built Blackfriars Bridge, which gives its name to the adjoining station, an important railway through the city.

Continue to be a key site of urban mobility in the coming years, thanks to Network Rail project which aims to improve the conditions of some major London stations, as indeed that of the Blackfriars, also increasing energy efficiency. "We are building a large modern station" Vamplew said Lindsay, director of works for Network Rail, "The bridge of Blackfriars station is part of our history: built in the age of steam, we are bringing up with the twenty-first century with Solar technology, to create a station that becomes an icon for the city. "

A symbol that will bear witness to the people, even more, the important role of alternative energy: "See that solar energy is working," said Derry Newman, chief executive of Solarcentury, the UK company that is performing the work, " is an important step towards a future of clean energy. "
Besides the use of solar panels, the London station will be equipped with other means of producing sustainable energy, as a recovery for the installation of rainwater or solar chimneys that will allow better light, with natural sources , of the station. Thanks to the energy thus produced, it is expected that the station will be able to self-sustaining with renewable sources for 50% of its total energy consumption.

The end of the meeting is scheduled for spring of 2012: To this date, the 6,000 square meters of photovoltaic panels will be installed now and will enable a saving of 511 tonnes CO2 per year.


But the London Bridge is not the only virtuous example of the old continent, in June 2011, Europe has seen the installation of 16,000 solar panels also on top of a railway tunnel in Belgium, the stretch of high-speed line between Antwerp and Amsterdam.