YPF Luz inaugurated the El Quemado solar park, with an installed capacity of 305 MW , the largest photovoltaic park in Argentina. Located in the department of Las Heras, Mendoza , the project represents 11% of the country's installed solar capacity and generates energy equivalent to the consumption of 233,000 homes.
With an investment of USD 211 million, El Quemado is the first project to enter operation under the Incentive Regime for Large Investments (RIGI), while the energy is marketed to industries, companies and distributors throughout the country through the Renewable Energy Term Market (MATER).
The park began operating in stages: between December 2025 and February 2026 the first 200 MW were put into operation, while the last stage of 105 MW is receiving the final technical tests to obtain its commercial authorization.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by the Chief of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Nation, Manuel Adorni ; the Minister of Economy, Luis Caputo ; the Governor of Mendoza, Alfredo Cornejo ; the President and CEO of YPF, Horacio Marín ; the CEO of YPF Luz, Martín Mandarano and national, provincial, municipal authorities.
During the inauguration, Manuel Adorni remarked: “What we are seeing here is truly impressive; this is the Argentina of the future. Congratulations to Horacio Marín and the hundreds of people who were involved in this. On December 26, 2024, I had the pleasure of announcing the approval of the first RIGI project. It was none other than this project, the El Quemado Solar Park, which today became the first RIGI project inaugurated.”
At the same time, the governor of Mendoza stated: “Creating an incentive program for large investments and completing the project is what we are celebrating today.”
For his part, the president and CEO of YPF said: “Every day I wake up proud to work at YPF. This is a testament to the execution capabilities we have at the company. We have built the largest wind farm in Argentina in a single year. Today we reached our first 1 GW of installed renewable capacity and are making a significant contribution to Argentina exporting more than $30 billion worth of renewable energy starting in 2031.”
The project has an estimated capacity factor of 31.4% and required the installation of more than 511,000 bifacial solar panels. The project also included a new transformer substation with GIS technology, built by Distrocuyo, which will also be responsible for its operation. The park is the seventh renewable energy project developed by YPF Luz.
Originally developed by EMESA in 2017, this project combined national scale with local impact: during construction, it employed over 350 people at its peak, with 87% of the workforce being local, and achieved 56% integration of locally sourced goods and materials. Furthermore, a large portion of the pallets, cardboard, and other waste materials generated during construction were donated to local municipalities and organizations for reuse.
Martín Mandarano, CEO of YPF Luz, stated: "The El Quemado wind farm addresses our customers' need for reliable energy that meets market demands. We are proud to be the first to operate under the RIGI (Integrated Energy Management System), driving investments that are transforming the energy matrix. I especially thank the entire YPF Luz team, as well as all the suppliers, contractors, and authorities who contributed to making this project a reality."
Key facts | El Quemado Solar Park
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• Location : Las Heras department, 53 km north of the city of Mendoza. • Installed capacity : 305 MW (200 MW already in operation).
• Investment : USD 211 million.
• Environmental impact : It will prevent the emission of more than 385,000 tons of CO2 equivalent per year.
• Energy benefit : It will generate energy equivalent to the consumption of more than 233,000 homes, enough to cover the residential demand of the City of Mendoza and the departments of Las Heras and Lavalle.
• Importance : It is the solar park with the largest installed capacity in Argentina and is equivalent to more than 11% of the national installed solar capacity.
• Local employment : during construction it reached a peak of more than 350 people employed, with 87% local labor.
• Marketing : The energy from El Quemado will be marketed in the Energy Term Market (MAT) to supply companies, industries and distributors throughout the country.
Technical and construction data
• Estimated capacity factor : 31.4%.
• Main equipment : more than 511,000 bifacial photovoltaic panels, 5,800 trackers, 1,170 inverters and 40 transformer stations.
• Construction period : 18 months. Construction began in January 2025.