Lightning strike damages distribution panel at Mabaruma Solar Farm, Guyana

What happened

The 400kW Mabaruma Solar Farm at Khan's Hill, Mabaruma, Guyana, operated by Hinterland Electrification and owned by the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, was struck by lightning before completion of commissioning, damaging a distribution panel that carried electricity from the solar farm to the power house. An engineer inspecting the site found that the plant had not been properly earthed, meaning a repeat lightning strike could cause further damage. The Government Electrical Inspectorate later tested the grounding of the lightning protection systems and found they did not meet specifications.

The EPC contractor, Meeco, and Hinterland Electrification disputed responsibility for rectifying the fault, delaying commissioning beyond its original 2018 target. The contract was eventually terminated and the transformer and other damaged equipment were scheduled for replacement through a new tender process.

Contributing factors

Inadequate earthing and lightning protection at the solar farm, which failed to meet required specifications; a contractual dispute between Meeco and Hinterland Electrification over responsibility for remedial works delayed repairs.

Lessons learned

1. Lightning protection and earthing at solar farms must be tested to meet specifications before energisation, or a strike may damage the distribution panel.
2. Grounding systems at solar sites should pass independent electrical inspectorate checks before commissioning to avoid later replacement.
3. Contracts for solar projects must assign clear responsibility for earthing performance to prevent disputes that delay repairs.

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

Not yet known

• Turbine model and age
• Cost of the damage
• Length of commissioning delay

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Source

guyanachronicle.com