Fires broke out at two large solar power plants in Crimea
In the temporarily occupied Crimea, fires were reported at two large solar power plants—“Mykolaivka” in the Simferopol District and “Okhotnikove” in the Saki District. The causes of the fires have not yet been determined.
The first fire occurred at the “Mykolaivka” solar power plant in the Simferopol district. According to “Krymskyi Vetr,” the source of the fire was detected on satellite images. An electrical substation belonging to the solar power plant is located on the edge of the fire. “Mykolaivka” is one of Crimea’s largest solar power plants. Its total capacity is 69.7 MW. The plant covers more than 116 hectares.
There are 290,048 crystalline solar photovoltaic modules installed on its grounds. According to project data, the solar power plant was capable of generating approximately 90,000 MWh of electricity per year. It is also noted that the plant’s operation made it possible to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 72,000 metric tons annually. Later, “Krymsky Veter” reported another fire—this time at the “Okhotnikovo” solar power plant in the Saki District.
According to the channel, this is also a large photovoltaic plant. Its capacity is about 80 MW, and it covers an area of over 160 hectares. There are about 360,000 ground-mounted solar panels at the “Okhotnikove” solar power plant. “A fire was also spotted at the ‘Okhotnikove’ solar power plant in the Saki District... This is a large photovoltaic plant with a capacity of 80 MW. It covers an area of over 160 hectares and has about 360,000 ground-mounted solar panels,” according to a post on the Telegram channel.
Near “Okhotnikovo” is located a Rosrezerv oil depot—the “Gvardeisky” complex. There is currently no information on whether the fire at the solar power plant is connected to the nearby facility. Both solar power plants—"Mykolaivka" and "Okhotnikove"—were built by the Austrian company Activ Solar. Both came under Russian occupation following the seizure of Crimea in 2014.
It is worth noting that the energy infrastructure of the occupied peninsula has already been the target of attacks on multiple occasions this year. In July, according to “Krym.Realii,” Crimea experienced a series of strikes on power substations, after which power outages occurred in some areas. At the same time, there is currently no confirmed information regarding the causes of the fires specifically at the “Mykolaivka” and “Okhotnikove” solar power plants. It is also unknown how severely the stations themselves were damaged or whether the fires affected their operations. This was reported by the Telegram channel “Crimean Wind,” citing satellite imagery.
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