BESS A FUTURE PROBLEM COMING NEAR YOU

Fire at the largest BESS in the world led to evacuation of 1500 residents in Moss Landing

The recent fire at the Moss Landing Energy Storage Facility in California has underscored critical considerations for firefighting operations and fire prevention strategies in large-scale lithium-ion battery installations.

A recent incident on Thursday January 16  led to the evacuation of approximately 1,500 residents, highlights the unique challenges posed by lithium-ion battery fires, including the release of toxic gases and the difficulty in extinguishing such fires.

The fire at the world’s largest battery storage facility in Northern California continued to smoulder on Friday, with air quality being monitored. 

The blaze at the Vistra Energy lithium battery plant in Moss Landing, California, produced massive flames and thick smoke on Thursday.

However, by Friday, it had significantly subsided, according to Fire Chief Joel Mendoza of the North County Fire Protection District of Monterey County. The facility is operated by Vistra, a Texas-based energy company.

“There’s very little, if any, of a plume emitting from that building,” Mendoza said.

Crews were reportedly not actively fighting the fire but are allowing it to burn out naturally, a strategy often employed for lithium-ion battery fires. These fires burn intensely and are notoriously difficult to extinguish

DONCASTER COUNCIL HAVE JUST APPROVED THE BIGGEST BATTERY ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEM AT THORPE MARSH