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Battery storageAustraliaEIR-0635

Fire during commissioning of Tesla Powerpack battery system at Bohle Plains, Australia

Apr 2021Published 10 Sept 2026Responsible editor: Chief Editor

SignificantThermal / fireProvisional4 MW
Estimated damageEstimated by the register's adjusterHow? Know the real figure?
Figure hidden: shown to subscribersMedium confidence
out of service for about •• daysShown in the record →Full estimate
From the recordRoot cause hiddenThe maker is named in 13 other entries (being named is not a finding of fault)
Where
Bohle Plains, Australia
What
Fire during commissioning of 4 MW 8 MWh BESS
Cause
Not reported

Companies named in the reporting of this entry (being named is not a finding of fault): Tesla

What happened

A fire broke out during commissioning of a battery energy storage system comprising Tesla Powerpacks at Bohle Plains, Australia, on 7 April 2021. The system was rated at 4.0 MW and 8.0 MWh, used NMC lithium-ion chemistry, and was installed in an outdoor configuration as part of a virtual power plant application. Tesla acted as the system integrator. The available source, an entry in the EPRI battery energy storage system failure incident database, does not provide further detail on the cause of the fire, the extent of damage, the emergency response, or whether anyone was injured. No information on downtime, financial loss or regulatory action was reported in the source used for this entry.

Lessons learned

  1. A fire during commissioning of an outdoor NMC BESS shows that pre-energisation checks must include full fire detection and suppression readiness.
  2. Tesla Powerpack systems used in virtual power plant applications need documented safety checks before energisation.

More lessons on detection and monitoring, design, standards and commissioning, from every incident on the register.

Not yet known

  • Cause of the fire
  • Extent of damage
  • Emergency response details
  • Whether anyone was injured

This entry is updated when these are reported. Get an alert for the next one like it.

Standards referenced

EPRI

Source

epri.box.com

Published 2026-09-10. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.

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Battery storage incidents in Australia: 6 entries, with a free alert for the next one.

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