London Unveils World's Largest Solar-Powered Bridge

Solar-powered Bridge over Blackfriars Station

Solar panels cover the roof of London's Blackfriars railway station. (Image credit: Network Rail)

London is going all in with sustainable energy. The world's largest solar-powered bridge — spanning the River Thames — was unveiled Wednesday (Jan. 22) in the British metropolis.

The roof of Blackfriars Bridge, a Victorian-era road and foot-traffic bridge in central London, was covered with 4,400 solar panels, as part of a five-year project to help cut emissions from the Blackfriars railway station on the bridge's northern bank, reported The Guardian. The solar panels are expected to provide up to half of the energy needed to power the busy railway station, said officials from First Capital Connect, which runs Blackfriars station.

"Electric trains are already the greenest form of public transport — this roof gives our passengers an even more sustainable journey," David Statham, managing director of First Capital Connect, told The Guardian. "The distinctive roof has also turned our station into an iconic landmark visible for miles along the River Thames."

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Denise Chow was the assistant managing editor at Live Science before moving to NBC News as a science reporter, where she focuses on general science and climate change. Before joining the Live Science team in 2013, she spent two years as a staff writer for Space.com, writing about rocket launches and covering NASA's final three space shuttle missions. A Canadian transplant, Denise has a bachelor's degree from the University of Toronto, and a master's degree in journalism from New York University.