Tesla's Megapack Battery Fire Contained: Report

A fire broke out Friday at Tesla Inc's TSLA Megapack installation in Australia.

The Megapack is an industrial-sized energy storage solution from Tesla that can be scaled up to meet the needs of a small town or bigger cities. Now Teslarati reports the fire has been fully addressed. 

Two Megapacks were involved in the fire, and it took approximately three days for the fire to fully die out. Although the Megapacks are close together, only two were involved. While the temperatures remained elevated for days, the damage is minimal compared to a coal or other fossil fuel plant, which can have explosive results in instances of fire. 

When the fire first started, the EPA had warned people nearby to stay inside to avoid toxic fumes. But EPA testing showed the air quality was good. Additionally, the community did not experience power loss due to the event. Investigation preparation is underway, and physical inspections will take place when the area is deemed safe. No one was injured in the incident. 

The fire may or may not delay the rollout of the battery system. It is expected to play a supporting role in the grid this summer, when electrical demand is at its highest. The project is being run by Neoen S.A. NOSPF, and the CEO Xavier Barbaro said this event is not expected to have an impact on profit guidance for the rest of 2021. 

Photo of Megapack courtesy of Tesla.