Energy storage power station fires around the world

How many energy storage battery fires are there?

Unfortunately, there have been a large number of energy storage battery fires in the past few years. For example, in South Korea, which has by far the largest number of energy storage battery installations, there were 23 reported fires between August 2017 and December 2018 according to the Korea Joongang Daily (2019).

What happened at the largest battery storage plant in Northern California?

A massive fire broke out Thursday afternoon at the world’s largest battery storage plants in Northern California, prompting evacuations and the closure of part of Highway 1. The blaze erupted at the Moss Landing Power Plant, which holds tens of thousands of lithium batteries used for storing solar power.

What causes large-scale lithium-ion energy storage battery fires?

Several large-scale lithium-ion energy storage battery fire incidents have involved explosions. The large explosion incidents, in which battery system enclosures are damaged, are due to the deflagration of accumulated flammable gases generated during cell thermal runaways within one or more modules.

How much energy is stored in the world?

According to the International Energy Agency (2020), worldwide energy storage system capacity nearly doubled from 2017 to 2018, to reach over 8 GWh. The total installed storage power in 2018 was about 1.7 GW. About 85% of the storage capacity is from lithium-ion batteries.

What happened suddenly at the north power station?

While fire fighters were dealing with a fire in the south area power station, a sudden explosion occurred in the north area power station without a warning. This incident resulted in the death of 2 fire fighters, injury of 1 fire fighter, and the missing of 1 power station employee.

What happens if the energy storage system fails?

If the energy storage system lacks effective protective measures, it may cause the expansion of battery accidents. In case of a naked fire, the flammable gas may reach a certain concentration and cause an explosion. If the energy storage device is arranged indoors, a chain explosion accident may occur.