The installation spans 620 hectares and comprises more than 511,000 bifacial photovoltaic panels, 5,800 trackers, 1,170 inverters, and 40 transformation centers. Technical specifications indicate a 31.4 percent capacity factor, with generation capacity sufficient to supply over 233,000 households, equivalent to residential consumption across Mendoza city and the Las Heras and Lavalle departments. The facility will avoid approximately 385,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions annually.
El Quemado represents 11 percent of Argentina’s current solar capacity and 40 percent of Mendoza province’s solar generation. With this addition, Mendoza surpassed 700 MW of installed solar capacity, moving toward a provincial target of 1,000 MW by 2030. The project connects to the Argentine Interconnection System through new transformer infrastructure at 220 kV, allowing energy sales into the wholesale market.
YPF president Marín emphasized execution speed, stating the company completed the country’s largest solar park within one year while reaching one gigawatt of total renewable generation capacity. The RIGI framework, enacted within Argentina’s Bases Law, provides tax incentives and establishes binding construction timelines for projects exceeding USD 200 million. National authorities approved El Quemado as the first RIGI project on December 26, 2024.
Governor Cornejo framed RIGI as a response to structural economic constraints limiting large-scale investment, while expressing preference for broader fiscal reforms that would extend competitive conditions beyond the special regime. Mendoza doubled its installed generation capacity between Cornejo’s first term in 2015-2019 and current administration. Provincial officials maintain policy openness to external suppliers rather than local content requirements, prioritizing competitive participation across vendors.
The government separately approved RIGI status for gold and silver mining projects in Argentina’s northwest region. YPF has submitted an additional RIGI application for a USD 25 billion Vaca Muerta export development initiative. Separately, La Rioja province inaugurated the 64 MW Arauco I solar park, integrating with existing wind infrastructure to reach 345 MW combined capacity at the hybrid site.
This article was curated and published as part of our South American energy market coverage.
