Fires reported at two solar plants in Crimea

What happened

Fires were reported at two large solar power plants in Crimea, in a news report citing a Telegram channel and satellite images. The first was reported at the Mykolaivka plant in the Simferopol District. An electrical substation belonging to that plant was described as lying on the edge of the fire. The plant is reported to have a capacity of 69.7 MW and to cover more than 116 hectares. A second fire was reported at the Okhotnikove plant in the Saki District, described as having a capacity of about 80 MW and covering more than 160 hectares.

Both plants were built by Activ Solar. The causes have not been determined. It has not been reported how badly either plant was damaged, or whether generation was affected. The date of the fires themselves is not stated separately from the date of the report.

Contributing factors

Not reported. The source says the causes have not been determined, and that there is no information on whether the Okhotnikove fire was connected to a nearby oil depot.

Lessons learned

1. A satellite report of fire at or beside a solar plant should be checked on site before any claim is made about damage or lost generation.
2. Where a substation sits at the edge of a fire, confirm whether the fire reached electrical equipment or stayed outside the asset.
3. Until the cause is known, treat a nearby industrial site as a separate question and do not assume a link.

Source

ua.news