Transformer Blasts Spread Fire Through Solar Plant in India

A seven-hour fire erupted at Asia’s biggest solar park Wednesday night in the Indian state of Gujaret, local media report.

At about 7:30 p.m. fire broke out at the GPPC Pipavav Power Company, a five-megawatt power plant that is part of the Gujarat Solar Park in Santalpur Taluka. Staff on hand report two or three transformer explosions and fire in other important equipment.

Gujarat has set ambitious goals in developing renewable energy. The facility is a 4,900-acre solar park that provides an installed capacity of 615 megawatts to the state power grid.

Currently, the state has a total renewable energy capacity of 7,645 megawatts or 28% of the state’s total capacity.

The fire eventually enveloped the power company switchyard and master control room. Staff shut down operations at GPPC Pipavac and surrounding solar plants to isolate sections of the power grid that could be affected.

Complicating fire operations was the lack of a local fire station in the community, authorities said. A firefighting vehicle had to be borrowed from Cairn Energy in Radhanpur to apply firefighting foam.

Firefighters finally extinguished the blaze at 2 a.m. Thursday.

No injuries were reported. The cause of the fire is under investigation.