Fire at the largest BESS in the world led to evacuation of 1500 residents in Moss Landing
Thank you for choosing Automatic Translation. Currently we are offering translations from English into French and German, with more translation languages to be added in the near future. Please be aware that these translations are generated by a third party AI software service. While we have found that the translations are mostly correct, they may not be perfect in every case. To ensure the information you read is correct, please refer to the original article in English. If you find an error in a translation which you would like to bring to our attention, it would help us greatly if you let us know. We can correct any text or section, once we are aware of it. Please do not hesitate to contact our webmaster to let us know of any translation errors.
Moss landing is the largest BESS (Battery Energy Storage System) in the world, and a n uncontrolled fire could be fatal. Here is what happened recently and how ithe incident was dealt with.
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.
Lessons Learned and Fire Prevention:
-
Enhanced Safety Protocols: The Moss Landing facility had experienced previous incidents in 2021 and 2022, indicating a pattern of vulnerabilities. These recurring events suggest the need for comprehensive safety audits and the implementation of robust fire suppression systems tailored to the specific risks of battery storage facilities.
-
Advanced Monitoring Systems: Implementing real-time monitoring technologies can aid in early detection of anomalies within battery systems, allowing for prompt intervention before issues escalate into full-scale fires. The failure of detection and heat suppression systems was a contributing factor in the Moss Landing incident.
-
Regulatory Oversight: The frequency of fires at battery storage facilities calls for stricter regulatory standards and regular inspections to ensure compliance with safety protocols. This incident serves as a "wake-up call" for the industry to reevaluate current practices.
-
Community Preparedness: The evacuation of residents highlights the importance of having clear emergency response plans in place. Communities near such facilities should be educated on potential risks and the appropriate actions to take during emergencies.
Previous fire at Moss Landing:
On September 4, 2021, a malfunction occurred in the Phase I system of Vistra Corporation's Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) at the Moss Landing Power Plant, damaging approximately 7% of the battery modules. This incident was among at least three battery-related events at the facility since the company began housing batteries there. The latest event led to the closure of Highway 1 in both directions and prompted a shelter-in-place order for nearby residents due to concerns over toxic smoke from burning lithium-ion batteries.
Vistra Corporation had then a total capacity of 750 megawatts (MW) and 3,000 megawatt-hours (MWh).
The facility has an extensive aamount of lithium-ion batteries. The facility is equipped with both a fire suppression system and a water-based suppression system for enhanced safety measures.
Vistra Corp. Investor Relations
In conclusion, the Moss Landing fire emphasizes the necessity for the energy storage industry to adopt more rigorous safety measures and proactive fire prevention strategies. Learning from these incidents is crucial to advancing the safe integration of renewable energy technologies.
Photo Credit: The 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