Battery cabinet fire during grid connection test at Lanyu Power Plant

A battery cabinet installed outside the Lanyu Power Plant on Lanyu (Orchid Island), Taitung County, Taiwan, operated by Taipower, caught fire during testing of a newly added energy storage system. The fire is suspected to have been caused by a short circuit that occurred while the system was undergoing a grid connection test. Plant staff and testers acted quickly to contain the blaze, and the local fire brigade was called to monitor the area to prevent the fire spreading to nearby facilities. Because the battery chemistry involved is not suitable for direct water suppression, firefighters used metal fire extinguishers and cooling measures instead of hoses, and kept watch on the site for around one day until the situation was fully controlled. The plant's normal operations were not affected by the incident, and no injuries were reported.

A suspected short circuit occurring during commissioning or grid connection testing of the newly installed battery storage system. The lithium ion battery chemistry involved is incompatible with direct water-based firefighting, requiring alternative suppression methods.

1. Grid connection and commissioning tests on new battery storage systems can pose elevated short circuit risk and should be closely supervised with appropriate safety monitoring in place.
2. Fire services responding to battery energy storage fires need pre-established protocols and equipment for chemistries incompatible with water suppression, such as metal fire extinguishers and controlled cooling.
3. Remote or island sites should have local emergency response plans coordinated in advance with battery system operators, given the added logistical challenges of responding to incidents in isolated locations.

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