A fire broke out on Monday at the 110 MW Beryl Solar Farm in New South Wales, Australia, causing damage that is still being assessed. Firefighters quickly brought the fire under control, and undamaged areas of the solar farm are now back online.
At Beryl Solar Farm in New South Wales, Australia, a grass fire broke out on April 24, causing damage to the grass between the solar panels. The fire department got the fire under control, but the cause of the fire is currently being investigated.
The 87 MW (AC)/110 MW Beryl Solar Farm entered commercial operation in June 2019. It is wholly owned by Banpu Energy Australia, managed by RES and operated by Novasource.
Crews from the New South Wales Rural Fire Service were able to contain the fire. But in a Facebook post, it said the fire was burning under the solar panels, making it difficult for firefighters.
Prolonged wet weather has affected ground conditions in central New South Wales. Combined with recent high temperatures, this led to the bushfire season being extended until April 30, 2023, a spokesperson for Beryl Solar Farm (BSF) said.
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“The BSF continuously monitors and maintains vegetation levels in accordance with NSW Rural Fire Service guidelines to reduce fire risk,” the spokesman said. “This is the first of its kind at BSF and a thorough investigation is underway to determine the root cause, while all equipment remains isolated for safety reasons. All factory personnel are safe and accounted for, the site is secured, and there were no injuries.”
