BESS Failure Incident Database
From EPRI Storage Wiki
This is a public resource for documenting publicly-available data on battery energy storage failure events from around the world. All information included is available in the linked public documents. If there is a public event that is not included in the BESS Fire Event Database, please email the relevant information and link to supporting info to our Storage Safety email.
If you would like to be notified when a new event is added to this database or are interested in other EPRI energy storage safety research resources and opportunities please reach out to our Storage Safety email.
Stationary Energy Storage Failure Events
This table tracks utility and C&I scale energy storage failure events with publicly available information.
Note: Missing values in this table reflect unknowns.
| Location | Energy (MWh) | Power (MW) | Module Type | Application | Installation | Event Date | System Age (yr) | State During Accident | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Singapore | UPS | Data center | 10 September 2024 | DCD | |||||
| US, CA, Escondido | 120 | 30 | Substation | 5 September 2024 | 7.6 | Undergoing maintenance | San Diego Union Tribune | ||
| US, CA, Escondido | 120 | 30 | Substation | 5 September 2024 | 7.6 | San Diego Union Tribune | |||
| US, CA, Santa Ana | Industrial | 17 July 2024 | OC Register | ||||||
| USA, CA, San Diego | 250 | 250 | LG Chem | Energy shifting | 15 May 2024 | 3.7 | The San Diego Union-Tribune | ||
| Japan, Kagoshima, Isa | Solar Integration | 27 March 2024 | FNN | ||||||
| Taiwan, Lanyu | 1.1 | Power Plant | 28 December 2023 | Operational | United Daily News | ||||
| USA, ID, Melba | 8 | 2 | Powin Energy | Distribution Resource | Substation | 2 October 2023 | 0 | Pre-commissioning | KTVB7 |
| France, Martinique, Saint-Esprit | Solar Integration | Farm | 29 September 2023 | Operational | DayFR Euro | ||||
| Australia, Queensland, Bouldercombe | 100 | 50 | Tesla | Substation | 26 September 2023 | 0.1 | Operational | ABC News | |
| US, CA, Valley Center | 560 | 140 | LG Energy Solution | Rural | 18 September 2023 | 1.6 | Operational | Valley Road Runner | |
| France, Saucats, Barban | 98 | 105 | Rural | 22 August 2023 | 0 | Pre-commissioning | dayFREuro | ||
| China, Xiangzhou District, Zuhai City | Warehouse | 19 August 2023 | OFweek | ||||||
| US, NY, Chaumont | 15 | 5 | General Electric | Solar Integration | Rural | 27 July 2023 | 0.4 | Operational | 7 News WWNYTV |
| Taiwan, Taichung City, Longjing District | LFP | 4 July 2023 | United Daily News | ||||||
| US, NY, Warwick | 17.9 | 4 | Powin Energy | Energy Shifting, Backup | Substation | 27 June 2023 | 0.1 | Operational | Convergent Energy and Power |
| US, NY, Warwick | 36 | 8 | Powin Energy | Energy Shifting, Backup | Substation | 26 June 2023 | 0.1 | Operational | Convergent Energy and Power |
| US, NY, East Hampton | 40 | 5 | LG Chem | Resiliency, Utility Peak Reduction | Substation | 31 May 2023 | 4.8 | Operational | East Hampton Star |
| Sweden, Gothenburg, Vastra Frolunda | 0.9 | Indoor | 26 April 2023 | 0 | Pre-commissioning | Battery Energy Storage Container Fire Report (English translation) | |||
| France, Saint-Trivier-sur-Moignans | Indoor, Datacenter | 28 March 2023 | DCD | ||||||
| US, PA, Millvale | SimpliPhi Power (LFP) | Solar Integration | Urban | 30 January 2023 | Operational | WTAE | |||
| South Korea, Jeollanam-do, Yeongam-gun, Geumjeong-myeon | 251 | Solar Integration | Rural | 27 December 2022 | 1.8 | Operational | E2News.com | ||
| South Korea, Jeollanam-do, Damyang-gun, Mujeong-myeon, Deokgok-ri | 9.1 | 2.5 | Samsung SDI | Solar Integration | Rural | 8 December 2022 | 5.5 | Operational | E2News.com |
| China, Hainan | 50 | 25 | Ruipu | Solar Integration | 20 October 2022 | 0 | Commissioning | china5e.com | |
| South Korea, Pangyo | SK On | Datacenter | 15 October 2022 | DCD | |||||
| US, CA, Moss Landing | 730 | 182.5 | Tesla | Energy Shifting, Ancillary Services | Substation | 20 September 2022 | 0.5 | Operational | KSBW News |
| South Korea, Incheon | 103 | Energy Shifting | Factory | 6 September 2022 | Operational | Teller Report | |||
| USA, Wyoming, Yellowstone National Park | Solar Integration | Indoor | 6 September 2022 | National Park Service | |||||
| US, CA, Rio Dell | Lead Acid | Solar Integration / Backup | Rural | 3 August 2022 | 4 | Operational | KRCR | ||
| South Korea, Jangseong-gun | Solar Integration | 2 May 2022 | Newspim | ||||||
| US, AZ, Chandler | 40 | 10 | LG Chem [NMC] | Substation | 18 April 2022 | 3 | Operational | AZ Central | |
| US, CA, Valley Center | 560 | 140 | LG Energy Solution | Rural | 5 April 2022 | 0.2 | Operational | Valley Road Runner | |
| Taiwan, Taichung City, Longjing District | 1 | 1 | Solar Integration | Power Plant | 30 March 2022 | 2 | Operational | Yantai Chuangwei Technology | |
| US, CA, Moss Landing | 400 | 100 | LG Energy Solution | Solar Integration | Power Plant | 13 February 2022 | 1 | Operational | KSBW News |
| South Korea, Gunwi-gun, Gyeongsangbuk-do | 1.5 | 0.45 | LG Energy Solution | Solar integration | Rural | 17 January 2022 | 3 | Operation. Fully charged | E2News |
| South Korea, Nam-gu, Ulsan | 50 | 10 | SK Innovation | Peak Load Reduction | Urban | 12 January 2022 | 2 | Operational | E2News |
| US, CA, Moss Landing | 1,200 | 300 | LG Energy Solution | Solar Integration | Power Plant | 4 September 2021 | 0.8 | Vistra | |
| Australia, Victoria, Moorabool | 450 | 300 | Tesla [NMC] | Grid Stability | Rural | 30 July 2021 | 0 | Construction, Commissioning | Investigation Report |
| US, IL, LaSalle | 36 | 36 | Sinexcel [LFP] | Solar and Wind Integration, Frequency Regulation | Rural | 19 July 2021 | 1.6 | WSPY | |
| Germany, Neuhardenberg | 5 | 5 | [LFP] | Solar Integration and Frequency Regulation | Indoor/Hangar | 18 July 2021 | 5 | RBB 24 (Translated) | |
| France, New Caledonia, Boulouparis | Solar Integration | Rural | 13 July 2021 | La 1ere (Translated) | |||||
| US, MI, Standish | Demand Charge Mgmt | Substation | 19 April 2021 | WSGW | |||||
| China, Beijing | 25 | Gotion High-Tech [LFP] | Solar Integration | Commercial | 16 April 2021 | 2 | Construction, Commissioning | Investigation Report (English Translation) | |
| Australia, Bohle Plains | 8 | 4 | Tesla | VPP | 7 April 2021 | 1.2 | Commissioning | Queensland Government | |
| South Korea, Hongseong | LG Energy Solution | Solar Integration | 6 April 2021 | 3 | Business Korea | ||||
| Gogyeong-myeon, Gyeongsangbuk-do, South Korea | 4 | LG Energy Solution | Solar Integration | 11 March 2021 | Newspim | ||||
| South Korea, YoungCheon City | 8.4 | Solar Integration | 11 March 2021 | Social construction of fire accidents in battery energy storage systems in Korea | |||||
| France, Ariege, Perles-et-Castelet | 0.5 | 0.5 | Narada [LFP] | Hybrid Supercacitor plus Storage System | Substation | 1 December 2020 | 0 | Commissioning, testing | Investigation Report (English Translation) |
| UK, Liverpool | 10 | 20 | Frequency Regulation | 15 September 2020 | 1.5 | Investigation Report | |||
| South Korea, Haenam | Solar Integration | Field | 27 May 2020 | 2.2 | E2 News (Translated) | ||||
| Australia, Brisbane | 17 March 2020 | 6.7 | Brisbane Times | ||||||
| South Korea, Gimhae | 2.2 | Solar Integration | 27 October 2019 | 1.5 | Charged, inactive | Social construction of fire accidents in battery energy storage systems in Korea | |||
| South Korea, Hadong | 1.3 | Solar Integration | Mountains | 21 October 2019 | 1.2 | Charged, inactive | Social construction of fire accidents in battery energy storage systems in Korea | ||
| South Korea, Gunwi | 1.5 | Solar Integration | Mountains | 29 September 2019 | 1.8 | Discharging | Social construction of fire accidents in battery energy storage systems in Korea | ||
| South Korea, Pyeongchang | 21 | Wind Integration | Mountains | 24 September 2019 | 2.7 | Charged, inactive | Social construction of fire accidents in battery energy storage systems in Korea | ||
| France, Vitry-sur-Seine | Datacenter | 16 September 2019 | Maintenance | Univers Freebox | |||||
| South Korea, Yesan | 1.5 | Solar Integration | Mountains | 30 August 2019 | 1.7 | Charged, inactive | Social construction of fire accidents in battery energy storage systems in Korea | ||
| South Korea, North Jeolla, Jangsu | 1 | Solar Integration | Mountains | 26 May 2019 | 1 | Charged, discharging | Seoul Finance | ||
| South Korea, North Gyeongsang, Chilgok | 3.7 | LG Chem | Solar Integration | Mountains | 4 May 2019 | 2.2 | Charged, inactive | Munhwa Ilbo | |
| US, AZ, Surprise | 2 | 2 | LG Chem [NMC] | Volt Reg., PQ, Solar int. | Substation | 19 April 2019 | 2.1 | APS Investigation Report | |
| US, OR, Tualatin | Powin Energy | Manufacturing/Testing | 11 April 2019 | 0 | Testing | Oregon Live | |||
| South Korea, Ulsan | 46.8 | Demand Charge Mgmt | Factory | 21 January 2019 | 0.6 | Charged, inactive | MOTIE Investigation, June 2019 | ||
| South Korea, North Jeolla, Jangsu | 2.5 | Solar Integration | Mountains | 15 January 2019 | 0.8 | Charged, inactive | MOTIE Investigation, June 2019 | ||
| South Korea, South Gyeongsangnam, Yangsan | 3.3 | LG Chem | Demand Charge Mgmt | Factory | 14 January 2019 | 0.8 | Charged, inactive | Steal & Metal News | |
| South Korea, South Jeolla, Wando | 5.2 | INCELL | Solar Integration | Mountains | 14 January 2019 | 1.2 | Charging | TvChosun | |
| South Korea, Gangwon, Samcheok | 2.7 | Solar Integration | Mountains | 22 December 2018 | 1 | Charged, inactive | Korea Economics | ||
| South Korea, North Chungcheong, Jecheon | 9.3 | LG Chem | Demand Charge Mgmt | Mountains | 17 December 2018 | 1 | Charged, inactive | Yonhap News Agency | |
| South Korea, South Gyeongsang, Geochang | 1.3 | LG Chem | Solar Integration | Mountains | 22 November 2018 | 0.6 | Charged, inactive | Gyeongnam Newspaper | |
| South Korea, Gyeongsangbuk-do, Mungyeong | 4.2 | LG Chem | Solar Integration | Mountains | 21 November 2018 | 0.9 | Charged, inactive | JTBC News | |
| South Korea, North Gyeongsang, Yeongju | 3.7 | LG Chem | Solar Integration | Mountains | 12 November 2018 | 0.8 | Charged, inactive | Kyongbuk Ilbo | |
| South Korea, South Chungcheong, Cheonan | 1.2 | LG Chem | Solar Integration | Mountains | 12 November 2018 | 0.9 | Charged, inactive | FPN | |
| South Korea, Gyeonggi, Yongin | 17.7 | Samsung SDI | Frequency Regulation | Factory | 18 October 2018 | 2.6 | Maintenance | E2news | |
| South Korea, Jeju | 0.2 | Revo Co., Ltd. (KEPCO) product use | Solar Integration | 14 September 2018 | 4 | Charging | Jejusori | ||
| South Korea, Chungcheongnam, Taean | 6 | Samsung SDI | Solar Integration | Waterfront | 7 September 2018 | 0 | Installation | Chosun Ilbo | |
| South Korea, Chungcheongbuk-do, Yeongdong | 6 | LG Chem | Solar Integration | Mountains | 1 September 2018 | 0.7 | Charged, inactive | Korea Economics | |
| South Korea, Sejong | 18 | Samsung SDI | Demand Charge Mgmt | Factory | 28 July 2018 | 0 | Installation | Joongdo Ilbo | |
| South Korea, South Gyeongsang, Geochang | 9.7 | Samsung SDI | Wind Integration | Mountains | 21 July 2018 | 1.6 | Charged, inactive | Gyeongnam Newspaper | |
| South Korea, South Jeolla, Haenam | 3 | LG Chem | Solar Integration | Waterfront | 12 July 2018 | 0.6 | Charged, inactive | Kyunghyang Shinmun | |
| South Korea, North Jeolla, Gunsan | 19 | Samsung SDI | Solar Integration | Waterfront | 15 June 2018 | 0.5 | Charged, inactive | No Cut News | |
| South Korea, South Jeolla, Yeongam | 14 | Samsung SDI | Wind Integration | Mountains | 2 June 2018 | 2.4 | Maintenance | Yonhap News Agency | |
| South Korea, North Gyeongsang, Gyeongsan | 8.6 | Frequency Regulation | Mountains | 2 May 2018 | 1.8 | Maintenance | Yonhap News Agency | ||
| China, Shanxi | 21 December 2017 | Sohu | |||||||
| Belgium, Drogenbos | 6 | Frequency Regulation | Research Park | 11 November 2017 | GTM | ||||
| South Korea, North Jeolla, Gochang | 1.5 | Wind Integration | Waterfront | 2 August 2017 | 0 | Installation | MOTIE Investigation, June 2019 | ||
| China, Shanxi | 7 March 2017 | Sohu | |||||||
| US, WI, Franklin | Factory | 10 August 2016 | 0 | Assembly, Installation | S&C | ||||
| US, WA, Port Angeles | Energy Shifting | Mall | 3 July 2013 | Peninsula Daily News | |||||
| US, AZ, Flagstaff | 1.5 | 0.5 | Solar integration | 26 November 2012 | 1.5 | AZ Daily Sun | |||
| US, HI, Kahuku | 10 | 15 | Xtreme [PbA] | Wind Integration | Island | 1 August 2012 | 1.5 | Hawaii News Now | |
| Japan, Ibaraki Prefecture | 2 | NGK [NaS] | Industrial | 21 September 2011 | NGK |
Figure 1. A breakdown of the stationary energy storage failure events from the above table.
Other Energy Storage Failure Events
This table tracks other energy storage failure events for scenarios that do not fit the criteria of the table above. This could include energy storage failures in settings like electric transportation, recycling, manufacturing, etc.
- Note: Missing values in this table reflect unknowns.
| Location | Setting | Capacity (MWh) | Capacity (MW) | Operator / Integrator | Event Date | System Age (yr) | State During Accident | Description | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US, MO, Fredericktown | Battery recycling plant | Critical Mineral Recovery | 30 October 2024 | A fire and explosion occured at a lithium ion battery recycling plant. Residents north and west of Fredericktown were told to evacuate if they could smell smoke. The evacuation order was revised within a couple hours to cover only residents (approx. 25 homes) living on the same road as the recycling plant. Other residents were asked to shelter in-place. The fire was controlled after 3 days and hot spots requiring fire suppression remained 8 days later. The EPA conducted air monitoring and found that concentrations of contaminants remained below thresholds. 2 days after the fire broke out, a 3 mile fish kill was discovered in Little St. Francis River. Firefighting foam is hypothesized to be the cause. Drinking water was not affected. | Missouri Independent | ||||
| US, CA, San Pedro | On road during transport | 26 September 2024 | In transit | A truck hauling 60,000 lbs of lithium ion batteries overturned and resulted in a deflagration and a fire. The freeway and bridge were shut down along with 6 port terminals. Firefighters utilized a defensive firefighting strategy to monitor and contain the fire. After 24 hours, the smoldering container was moved off the road to an open lot for monitoring, and the roads were re-opened after hazardous materials were cleared. | LB Post | ||||
| Canada, Montreal | Temporary storage at a port | 23 September 2024 | A container storing 15,000 lbs of lithium ion batteries on land caught fire at the Port of Montreal. Firefighters sprayed the container with water to cool it without opening the container. The City of Montreal ordered a lockdown for nearby residents due to concerns about the smoke. | CTV News | |||||
| US, NV, Nye County | On highway during transport | 17 September 2024 | In tranit | A semi-truck hauling lithium ion batteries sideswiped another semi-truck headed in the opposite direction, shortly after midnight on I-95. The resulting fire was extinguished and the road cleared by a HAZMAT crew. The road was reopened approximately 18h after the crash was reported. | Review Journal | ||||
| Germany, Thuringia | Temporary storage | Suncycle | 11 August 2024 | Temporarily stored onsite; not interconnected | A group of batteries that was intended for disposal and was being temporarily stored at the site caught fire. An employee used a forklift to move the burning storage unit to prevent propagation, and was suffered minor injuries due to the fumes and smoke. This incident is the third in a series of incidents at the Suncycle site. | PV Magazine | |||
| US, South Carolina, Seneca | Manufacturing | BorgWarner | 8 August 2024 | Battery on assembly line | A lithium ion battery caught fire on the assembly line at a manufacturing facility. The fire department got the fire under control after 2.5 hours. | WSPA | |||
| US, CA, Baker | On highway during transport | 26 July 2024 | In transit | A truck hauling lithium ion batteries was involved in a crash, overturning the truck and resulting in a fire. The I-15 freeway, a major artery between South California and Las Vegas, was shut down for two days. Several drivers stuck in the resulting traffic and high temperatures of the day experienced heat-related medical issues. | CBS | ||||
| Germany, Thuringia | Suncycle | 30 June 2024 | This incident is the second in a series of incidents at the Suncycle site. The fire department used a controlled burn approach to avoid costly disposal of contaminated firewater. The fire was extinguished after 12 hours. Nearby residents were advised to keep windows closed due to smoke. | MDR.DE | |||||
| South Korea, Hwaseong | Manufacturing | Aricell | 24 June 2024 | A single battery cell in the factory caught fire and spread to the 35,000 battery cells stored on the factory's second floor, producing a series of explosions. 22 workers were killed and 8 were injured in the fire. | New York Times | ||||
| Germany, Thuringia | Suncycle | 7 June 2024 | A battery caught fire at an engineering and test center. Firefighters used a grappling hook to open the container’s doors, cool the batteries with water, and extinguished the fire after 4 hours. The affected container was pulled away from the other battery containers with a tractor to prevent the flames from spreading. The contaminated firewater was disposed of. This incident is the first of a series of incidents at the Suncycle site. | PV Magazine | |||||
| Germany, Neermoor | Temporary storage | Intilion | 27 April 2024 | Temporarily stored onsite; not interconnected | One of several lithium-ion containers located in an industrial area was observed to be smoking. The containers were not interconnected to the grid. The fire department consulted with the operator and opened the container, resulting in an explosion. Two firefighters were injured. The container was cooled and moved away from the surrounding containers with a crane to prevent propagation. The fire was extinguished in 10 hours. A highway was closed overnight for 6 hours and residents were asked to keep doors and windows closed due to the heavy smoke. | Neermoor Fire Brigade | |||
| US, Ohio, Columbus | 18 April 2024 | A tractor trailer with 5900 lbs of lithium ion batteries caught fire. A bomb squad used a robot to cut a hole in the trailer during firefighting to reduce the risk of explosion. The evacuation order was lifted after three hours. | Firehouse | ||||||
| Scotland, Kilwinning | Recycling | 8 April 2024 | A fire broke out at the Fenix battery recycling plant. The cause of fire is under investigation. | BBC | |||||
| Australia, Maryborough | On highway during transport | 22 March 2024 | In transit | A semi-trailer truck carrying lithium ion batteries was involved in a multi-vehicle highway crash, resulting in a fire. The level of contribution from the batteries to the fire is unknown. | ABC News | ||||
| France, Viviez | Recycling | SNAM | 17 February 2024 | Storage | A fire broke out in a warehouse owned by battery recycling group SNAM. The warehouse stored 900 metric tons of lithium ion batteries. The cause of the fire is unknown. | Reuters | |||
| US, AK, Dutch Harbor | Maritime | 29 December 2023 | In transit | The ship was transporting lithium-ion batteries from Vietnam to San Diego. The fire began in a hold, which was pumped with carbon dioxide and sealed. The cause of the fire is unknown. | AP News | ||||
| Germany, Wurzburg | Underground Parking Garage | 5 November 2023 | A metal lattice box filled with batteries released smoke into the underground parking garage. Fire fighters extinguished the fire in three hours and used a high pressure fan to clear the smoke. | Fireworld | |||||
| Netherlands, Ameland | Maritime | Multiple | 26 July 2023 | Storage | A cargo ship fire burned for over a week. The crew was evacuated, after 1 death, and the ship was monitored for potential capsizing that could have damaged the nearby UNESCO World Heritage - listed wildlife habitat. The ship was carrying over 3700 new vehicles, with ~500 reported to be EVs. The cause of the fire is unknown. | AP | |||
| France, Rouen | Warehouse | 16 January 2023 | Storage | A fire spread through a warehouse containing thousands of lithium ion batteries. | the deep dive | ||||
| US, CA, Baker | Electric Vehicle Charging Station | Tesla | 1 January 2023 | Operational | This Megapack on a trailersystem is used to boost charging infrastructure at busy supercharger stations during peak times. | Electrek | |||
| Germany, Kaufbeuren | Battery test laboratory | 3 November 2022 | Testing | A battery exploded while undertest at an Intertek battery testing facility. | Allgau Newspaper | ||||
| US, CA, Palo Alto | EV Dealership | Tesla | 7 August 2022 | Storage | Failure within a stack of uninstalled EV batteries led to thermal runaway and damage to all batteries and some nearby property. | Palo Alto Fire Dept. | |||
| Netherlands, Amsterdam | Maritime | 0.7 | EST-Floattech | 25 July 2022 | 1 | In transit / operation | Battery fire on Diesel-Electric hybrid river boat | The Maritime Executive | |
| US, WI, Milwaukee | Hospital parking garage | 21 June 2022 | recycling bin | Container holding recycled batteries exploded in parking garage | WISN | ||||
| Sweden, Karlskoga | Warehouse | 10 April 2022 | A fire outside of a warehouse where a large number of batteries were being stored. | SVT Nyheter | |||||
| South Korea, North Chungcheong, Cheongju | Manufacturing | EcoPro BM | 21 January 2022 | Operational Manufacturing Facility | Korea JoongAng Daily | ||||
| China, Wuhan | On highway during transport | 12 January 2022 | during transportation | Jimu News | |||||
| US, IL, Morris | Warehouse | Superior Battery Inc. | 2 July 2021 | ABC | |||||
| US, NM, Albuquerque | Recycling | Friedman Recycling | 16 March 2021 | KOB | |||||
| Norway, Oslo Fjord | Maritime | 0.8 | Corvus Energy | 11 March 2021 | 2 | Corvus Energy | |||
| China, Yunnan, Qujing | Manufacturing | CATL | 27 January 2021 | ESP | |||||
| China, Hunan | Recycling | CATL, Brunp Recycling | 7 January 2021 | ESP | |||||
| Norway, Sydnes | Maritime | 2 | Corvus Energy | 10 October 2019 | 0.5 | CFPA Europe | |||
| US, OR, Powin | New product testing | Powin HQ | 11 April 2019 | The Oregonian |