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Solar PVArgentinaEIR-0943

Fire breaks out in central inverters at Ullum solar park in Argentina

Oct 2020Published 17 Sept 2026Responsible editor: Chief Editor

MinorElectrical82 MW
Estimated damageEstimated by the register's adjusterHow? Know the real figure?
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out of service for about •• daysShown in the record →Full estimate
From the recordRoot cause hiddenFailed part hidden
Where
Ullum photovoltaic park, Ullum, San Juan province, Argentina
Owner
Genneia SA
What
Central inverters caught fire
Response
Municipal firefighters controlled blaze in ninety minutes
Cause
Not reported

Companies named in the reporting of this entry (being named is not a finding of fault): Energía Provincial Sociedad del Estado, Genneia

What happened

Municipal firefighters in Ullum, San Juan province, Argentina, were called on a Sunday morning by police headquarters to attend a fire at the Ullum photovoltaic park, owned by Argentinian energy company Genneia SA. On arrival, firefighters found that a number of central inverters had caught fire, with flames consuming the interior of the cabinets housing the inverters and the thick interconnecting wiring. It took firefighters about ninety minutes to bring the blaze under control, with the incident declared controlled at 1:50 p.m.

The Ullum development comprises three solar plants, Ullum I (25 MW), Ullum II (25 MW) and Ullum III (32 MW), developed by state-owned power supplier Energía Provincial Sociedad del Estado and acquired by Genneia in April 2018. At the time of reporting it remained unclear which of the three plants was affected. Injuries, damage extent and downtime were not reported.

Contributing factors

The source does not state a specific technical cause of the inverter fire.

Lessons learned

  1. Central inverters with dense wiring and power electronics caught fire at the Ullum park, so operators should arrange thermal inspection and clear isolation for inverter cabinets.
  2. Fire at the Ullum multi-plant site left it unclear which plant was affected, so owners must label units clearly for responders.

More lessons on electrical protection and isolation, from every incident on the register.

Not yet known

  • Which of the three plants was affected
  • Injuries or damage extent
  • Downtime or cost
  • Inverter model and age

This entry is updated when these are reported. Get an alert for the next one like it.

Source

pv magazine (pv-magazine.com)

Site page: Ullum solar farm (status, dates and other incidents)

Published 2026-09-17. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.

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Chart to reuse with this story: Solar PV incidents by year, free with a credit (PNG).

Solar PV incidents in Argentina: 2 entries, with a free alert for the next one.

Solar farm fires: the counts, the latest entries and a free alert for the next one. Also: solar inverter fires.

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