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Tesla Megapack System Catches Fire Again, This Time in Monterey County, California

A new fire involving Tesla Megapacks happened in Monterey County, California. This is the second blaze involving stationary energy storage devices from the EV maker. On July 30, 2021, a Megapack caught fire in the Victorian Big Battery in Victoria, Australia, while it was still on tests. It was later determined that the combustion happened due to a short circuit.
Tesla Megapack like this one caught fire in the Elkhorn Battery Storage in Moss Landing, California 9 photos
Photo: Tesla
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In the latest Megapack blaze, the Elkhorn Battery Storage facility controlled by the Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) announced the fire was detected at 1:30 AM on September 20. It was necessary to close Highway 1 because firefighters were using one of its sections to try to end the situation.

Due to toxic fumes, the North County Fire Department and Monterey County Sheriff’s Office issued a Shelter-In-Place advisory, recommending people stay in their homes, turn off their ventilation systems, and keep windows and doors closed. The Monterey County Twitter account did not talk about the effects of the smoke. In the Australian fire, there was a risk of “wheezing, chest tightness, and difficulty breathing.”

PG&E commissioned the Tesla Megapack system in April this year. The Elkhorn Battery Storage facility has a 182.5 MW capacity and is located in Moss Landing, which made people start calling the situation the Moss Landing Incident.

Although the Californian fire was much faster to extinguish than the Victorian Big Battery blaze, authorities only lifted the Shelter-In-Place advisory at 6:50 PM on September 20. Authorities said that the fire was considered controlled but that “smoke may still occur in the area for several days.” They asked residents to “please continue to stay vigilant and monitor the news.” The North County Fire Department said an investigation of the blaze's cause would follow in the coming weeks.

Stationary energy storage systems help to store renewable energy generated when there is no demand on the grid for it. Considering solar energy is generated only during the day and that wind power is also not constant, these large batteries help power companies avoid auxiliary power plants fed by natural gas or coal.

The Australian Energy Regulator (AER) filed a lawsuit against the Hornsdale Power Reserve – Tesla Big Battery’s official name – operated by Neoen. The AER claims that the stationary energy storage system did not keep the power grid stable as it should. In technical terms, the Tesla Big Battery would not have provided frequency control ancillary services (FCAS) as it was hired to ensure.

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Editor's note: The gallery presents images of the Tesla Megapack and from the Victorian Big Battery fire in Australia.

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About the author: Gustavo Henrique Ruffo
Gustavo Henrique Ruffo profile photo

Motoring writer since 1998, Gustavo wants to write relevant stories about cars and their shift to a sustainable future.
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