Section of solar-powered highway stolen 5 days after opening

After China opened the world’s first solar-powered highway late last month, there were a number of naysayers who noted the issues and inefficiencies with this type of motorway. However, there has turned out to be another problem with this project that not even the most pessimistic had predicted.

On January 2nd, just five days after the experimental road opened to traffic in the outskirts of Jinan, Shandong Province, workers discovered during a routine inspection that one small section — 10–15 centimeters wide and 1.85 meters long — had mysteriously gone missing.

According to the local Qilu Evening News, the section had evidently been cut out and stolen by a team of professionals in a planned operation. The actual value of solar panels is relatively low, leading some sources to suspect that the chunk was in fact stolen for a closer peek at the tech making up this new kind of road.

The 1-kilometer long stretch of expressway is comprised of three layers: transparent concrete on top, solar-powered panels in the middle, and insulation on the bottom. The panels cover 5,875 square meters in total and can generate 1 million kilowatt hours of power in a year, or enough to meet the energy demands of around 800 households.

It has been billed as the “world’s first photovoltaic highway,” though detractors have noted that it is the first for a reason. Solar power panels are at their most efficient when they are angled, not placed flat like on a road. Positioning them on the ground could also mean that the panels will be blocked by the shade of trees, signs, light posts, or billboards along the roadside, not to mention by passing cars.

Meanwhile, it appears that some sections are already taking a beating from the heavy wear and tear that comes with being a road.

Workers have since replaced the disappeared section and the highway is now back to normal. Police are continuing to investigate the apparent theft.

[Images via NetEase]

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