This year s energy storage industry fire cases

What happened at a battery energy storage system near London?

A fire at an under-construction, utility-scale battery energy storage system (BESS) close to London in Thurrock, Essex, was safely brought under control on February 20. Firefighters from Orsett, Corringham and Basildon were called on February 19 to the fire in East Tilbury.

Are electric vehicles causing a 'battery energy storage fire'?

With the growing number of electric vehicles and batteries for energy storage on the grid, more high-profile fires have hit the news, like last year’s truck fire in LA, the spate of e-bike battery fires in New York City, or one at a French recycling plant last year. “Battery energy storage systems are complex machines,” Mulvaney says.

Are battery energy storage sites a fire hazard?

Fire-related incidents at battery energy storage sites are rare, and investigations into historical incidents have not found health risks to neighbors or the surrounding community.

Is a 300 MW battery fire a learning opportunity?

The fire that destroyed a 300-MW battery installation is a “learning opportunity” for a safety-conscious industry, experts say. Will non-lithium chemistries benefit? A fire at Vistra Energy’s Moss Landing battery storage facility on Jan. 16, 2025. The image by Guy Churchward is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Could Moss Landing lead to a new energy storage industry?

But the Moss Landing incident has nevertheless focused utilities, regulators and lawmakers attention on lithium-ion battery safety. It could also create an opening for non-lithium energy storage technologies to compete, some experts say.