Explosion and prolonged fire at Orsted battery storage site in Liverpool

In the early hours of 15 September 2020, an explosion occurred at the Orsted battery energy storage system (BESS) on Carnegie Road, Liverpool, before emergency responders arrived. Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service received calls reporting a large explosion with smoke and flames near the site. Crews found one of three storage containers fully involved in fire, with a container door blown roughly 6 metres away, consistent with a blast. Firefighters adopted defensive tactics, using water jets and ground monitors to cool and contain the fire rather than entering the vicinity due to electrical hazards. The fire was declared under control by around 06:30, but continued to burn intermittently due to thermal runaway within the lithium ion cells. Firefighting and monitoring continued for approximately 59 hours, with full handover of the site on 17 September. No injuries were reported. The automatic fire suppression system fitted to the unit did not activate.

The site's automatic fire suppression system failed to activate for reasons under investigation. Orsted, which remotely manages the site from Denmark, did not alert the fire service when the automatic fire alarm system actuated; contact was only made by Orsted after fire crews were already in attendance. Operational risk information available to responding crews about the BESS site and its specific fire risks was described as inadequate. The fire produced a significant explosion, propelling debris several metres, which occurred before firefighters arrived.

1. Battery storage sites should ensure that automatic fire alarm actuation triggers immediate, verified notification to the local fire and rescue service, rather than relying solely on remote monitoring by an operator based overseas.
2. Operators and fire services should ensure site-specific risk information, including battery chemistry, voltage and layout, is readily available to first responders before an incident occurs.
3. Automatic fire suppression systems fitted to battery storage containers require regular testing and verification of actuation reliability, as failure to activate can allow a fire to progress substantially before intervention.
4. Emergency response protocols for BESS fires should assume the possibility of explosion prior to arrival and adopt defensive firefighting tactics using water from a safe distance until electrical isolation is confirmed.

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