Moss Landing Battery Storage Fire Perspectives

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We’re going to have to speak about battery storage and the Moss Landing fire.

The hearth was situated to the Vistra Storage facility inside a constructing that was previously a pure gasoline technology unit. Tesla has a storage facility close by, however not inside the similar constructing.

I’m an enormous fan of battery storage and EVs, however when this occurs it’s a enormous wakeup name.

At first, Tesla used NMC cells, typically sourced from outdoors, like from LG and Samsung. After some time, Tesla Powerpacks switched to LFP, for a similar purpose the remainder of the trade switched. They’re much less risky and inclined to fireside.

Not all of the storage at Moss Touchdown was from Tesla. A lot of the power was made by Vistraand we have no idea but what began the hearth or how. There may be some pure gasoline facility on the location. Undoubtedly, there can be a significant investigation.

Cell Chemistries and Volatility

Nonetheless, one factor I do know for certain is that battery pack fires are actual and a priority. One factor you need to do when you’re an advocate or a supplier for one thing is handle the expectations and do some self regulation. If there may be not sufficient inside regulation, then it brings dangerous publicity and recognition to the whole area. There’s a proper method and a mistaken method to make use of superior batteries, and proper software is required. The issue with lithium batteries, significantly extra risky varieties like LiCo (laptop computer cells), NCA (used totally on the Mannequin S and X), and NMC with excessive nickel content material (a la 811 formulations) is that pack fires are sizzling and might devour a whole pack finally. It’s well-known amongst professionals on this area that pack fires occur when one cell reaches vital circumstances, and the warmth from one may cause the identical to others tightly packed close by. This situation known as thermal runaway.

At first of recent EV historical past, I spotted that early LFP cells had the potential to create EVs that had been much better than lead acid and NiMH may supply. After I did extra work with EVs, I realized about pack fires and about LFP’s unimaginable resistance to punctures and different abuse. LFP can face up to nail puncture checks, battery terminal brief checks, bullet checks, and bake checks. It doesn’t explode, create hearth, or stay burning as soon as warmth is eliminated. It does have some gasoline venting.

I additionally knew full properly that different varieties didn’t have such resistance. I assumed that LFP would dominate regardless of being decrease vitality density, but it surely didn’t. Tesla discovered a unique method by making its battery packs sturdy sufficient with higher thermal administration, and through the use of ablative materials that slowed the speed of warmth from fires. It additionally positioned wire bond fused in collection with all cells, in order that if one shorted, the fuse would blow and defend the pack. This labored properly sufficient for a single car to permit occupants to flee within the occasion of a failure — like a punctured pack within the occasion of an accident — and produced automobiles with a lower rates of fire than internal combustion cars.

I didn’t anticipate this strategy, and it’s a good one for automobiles.

The place Battery Storage Stands

Enter storage. At this level, Tesla found that it may enhance battery manufacturing quantity and decrease prices through the use of battery packs for storage and for EVs. This was a wise transfer. Sadly, that concerned utilizing the sorts of chemistries used for automobiles, which was NMC on the time. NMC was low-cost sufficient per kWh to suit the invoice, and Tesla initially used NMC for its Megapacks. Nonetheless, it shifted to LFP in 2021.

Vistra accomplished the preliminary section of its services in 2020. Tesla additionally supplied a challenge at Elkhorn Slough at Moss Touchdown. Building was began in June 2020, and the power was inaugurated in July 2022.

By now, all main battery storage suppliers have switched to LFP.

For the Future

Right here is the issue. If a automotive pack burns, that’s the place it stops. If a area stuffed with battery storage catches hearth, and the cells are risky, it could unfold to all of them. This isn’t good. Hindsight is 20/20. In my skilled opinion, NMC or different risky chemistries shouldn’t be used for utility storage. Going ahead, storage has moved on to LFP, however the results of such fires needs to be additional regulation that features steps to mitigate hearth unfold and enhance containment, if not outright limiting the volatility of cell varieties.

All which means LFP, and significantly sodium-ion batteries and iron-air batteries with liquid electrolytes, will obtain an enormous enhance because of even decrease volatility and toxicity than LFP.

I addition to that, regulators ought to check out spacing between models, and hearth spreading to restrict the extent of fires.