Explosion and prolonged fire at Orsted battery storage site in Liverpool
Sept 2020Published 10 Sept 2026Updated 8 Oct 2026Responsible editor: Chief Editor
- Where
- Carnegie Road, Liverpool
- Operator
- Orsted
- What
- Explosion and fire in one BESS container
- Injuries
- None reported
- Response
- Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service for 59 hours
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Companies named in the reporting of this entry (being named is not a finding of fault): Orsted
What happened
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.
Contributing factors
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.
Lessons learned
- BESS containers need verified automatic fire suppression that activates on detection, as the system here failed to actuate and allowed thermal runaway to continue.
- A site monitored remotely must alert the local fire service as soon as its fire alarm actuates. Here the site was managed remotely by Orsted from Denmark, and that remote management did not alert the fire service when the alarm actuated. Orsted first contacted Fire Control at about 01:30, after the first crew had arrived at 00:57.
- Site risk information must include BESS layout, chemistry and voltage so crews can plan defensive tactics before arrival, given the explosion and debris.
More lessons on detection and monitoring, spacing, layout and fire spread, from every incident on the register.
Not yet known
- Battery model and age
- Exact cause of the explosion
- Cost of the damage
- Duration of site downtime
This entry is updated when these are reported. Get an alert for the next one like it.
Source
Other entries that name Liverpool
Published 2026-09-10. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.
