Fire Hazard and Risk Assessment Battery Energy Storage System (BESS)

Page | 076

Fisher Engineering, Inc. Energy Safety Response Group
approach of the Megapack has inherent advantages over other BESS designs in terms of safety to emergency responders; (5) the EPA indicated that there was “good” air quality 2 hours after the fire demonstrating that no long-lasting air quality concerns arose from the fire event; (6) water samples indicated that the likelihood of the fire having a material impact on firefighting water was minimal; (7) prior community engagement during the project planning stages is invaluable as it enabled Neoen to quickly update the local community and address immediate questions and concerns; (8) early, factual and where possible, face-to-face engagement with the local community is essential when a fire event is unfolding to keep the general public informed; (9) an executive stakeholder steering committee from the key organizations involved in the emergency response can help ensure that any pubic communications are timely, efficient, coordinated and accurate; and (10) effective coordination between stakeholders at the site allowed for rapid and thorough handover process after the incident, the swift and safe decommissioning of the damaged units and the site’s quick return to service.
In summary, the VBB fire event proceeded in accordance with its fire protection design and pre-incident planning. It presented no unusual, unexpected, or surprising characteristics (i.e., explosions) or resulted in any injuries to site personnel, the general public or emergency responders. It was isolated to the units directly involved, had minimal environmental impact, did not adversely impact the electrical grid, and had appreciably short mission interruption.
Report of Technical Findings: Page 11 Victorian Big Battery Fire 1/25/2022