Incidents similar to Moss Landing battery fire are unlikely but stricter regulations proposed
Battery safety has come a long way since the construction of the 300 MW first phase of Vistra Energy’s Moss Landing Energy Storage Facility in California, which caught fire on January 16. The vast majority of today’s large-scale battery energy storage systems does not have much in common with the affected project deployed in a former turbine hall.
Battery safety has come a long way since the construction of the 300 MW first phase of Vistra Energy’s Moss Landing Energy Storage Facility in California, which caught fire on January 16. The vast majority of today’s large-scale battery energy storage systems does not have much in common with the affected project deployed in a former turbine hall.
Battery safety is a work in progress. But fires like the one that swept through the 300 MW first phase of Vistra Energy’s Moss Landing Energy Storage Facility in California are unlikely. This is because the number of utility-scale energy storage installations in the U.S. housed indoors – as Moss Landing is – is lower than 1%.
The massive fire, which erupted at the facility on January 16 around 3 p.m., closed roads in the area and prompted evacuation of up to 1,500 local resident due to concerns over hazardous materials and potential chemical releases. The Monterey County Board of Supervisors unanimously declared a local state of emergency to address the various concerns.
No one was reported injured or killed and the air monitoring for hydrogen fluoride and particulate matter carried out by Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) showed no risk to public health throughout the incident. Expanded sampling of soil, water, debris and dust by state and county inspectors is underway. The first samples are being tested with the first results expected next week.
Read full story on pv magazine’s ESS News…
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