Summary

  • Last week, a massive battery storage site at Moss Landing Power Plant in California reignited after a previous fire had seemingly been extinguished.
  • Following the initial fire in mid-January, the site’s owner, Vistra, is working to de-link the site’s batteries to reduce future fire risk.
  • Batteries and the broader e-mobility sector still present significant fire risks even though there have been improvements in fire prevention processes and responses in recent years.
  • In particular, short-circuits within batteries remain a risk, particularly in cheap, widely-used lithium-ion batteries, which if not carefully manufactured can cause batteries to overheat and catch fire.
  • To address these risks going forward, battery safety will need to be addressing during manufacturing to reduce the risk of short-circuiting, while across the sector there is a push to develop more robust and less flammable electrolytes.

By Casey Crownhart

Original Article