Tesla Megapack battery caught fire at PG & E substation in California

At least one Tesla Megapack stuck hearthplace early Tuesday morning on the strength garage facility operated through software PG&E in Monterey, California.

As of past due Tuesday morning, there had been no energy outages for PG&E customers, nor any accidents to on- site employees because of the hearthplace, in line with PG&E spokesperson Jeff Smith. The California software have become aware about the hearthplace at 1:30 a.m. on September 20th 2022 Smith stated in an e-mail.

PG&E had commissioned the 182.5-megawatt (MW) Tesla Megapack gadget, called the Elkhorn Battery at Moss Landing, in April this year.

Gigantic batteries just like the Megapack, in addition to those synthetic through ABB and Northvolt, allow grid operators to transport greater capacity among counties or states, and make sure that energy from intermittent reassets can be saved and used whilst call for is higher, or whilst there are unplanned outages in a transmission network.

The fires withinside the strength garage structures at Moss Landing are harking back to incidents related to Tesla Megapacks in Australia. They additionally underscore the demanding situations of adopting new generation to enhance the performance of the energy grid, and to make extra use of strength from intermittent, renewable assets like wind and solar.

There are wonderful strength garage tasks at Moss Landing in Monterey. One is operated with the aid of using PG&E and the other via Texas-based Vistra. On Tuesday, a spokesperson for Vistra instructed CNBC their facility become now no longer impacted through this event. However, the Vistra facet of Moss Landing has experienced  overheating incidents withinside the past.

California Highway Patrol closed a phase of Highway 1 and redirected site visitors farfar from the power for hours following the hearthplace.

A hearthplace captain with North Monterey County Fire, John Hasslinger, instructed

The hearthplace warring parties used hydrants and water deliver mounted on the facility, and labored to save you flames from spreading to adjacent batteries and systems withinside the large gadget. By round 11:00 a.m. nearby time, hearthplace warring parties close the water off however a few had been staying on area in a single day to make sure that the gadget did now no longer re-ignite.

“We allow the preliminary Megapack burn out,” he defined as per protocols encouraged through PG&E and Tesla to the hearthplace department. “It’s too early to realize what become the reason of the hearthplace,” he added, however an investigation will comply with in coming weeks.

Some citizens close to the Elkhorn Battery substation at Moss Landing had been suggested to safe haven in area, preserving home windows and air flow structures closed, because of emissions after the hearthplace. That advisory become nevertheless in area past due Tuesday.

According to Richard Stedman, an air pollutants manage officer for the Monterey Bay Air Resources District (MBARD), lithium ion battery fires can emit poisonous constituents, along with hydrochloric and hydrofluoric acid. MBARD did now no longer have any on the spot records approximately air exceptional affects from the Elkhorn Battery hearthplace, he stated, however will paintings with nearby government to have a look at the difficulty after the hearthplace has been absolutely extinguished.

PG&E’s Jeff Smith noted, “Safety structures on the facility labored as designed whilst the difficulty become detected, and robotically disconnected the battery garage facility from the electric grid.”