Bouldercombe is a small rural town, with a population just over 1,000 in Queensland, Australia. It lingers on after a short-lived gold rush in 1865, as a small hub in a citrus-growing area. Then in 2022 the Genex Power wind and solar storage company reached the stage it needed battery storage. The old mining settlement was a suitable location with a substation, and so the Bouldercombe Battery Project staked its claim.
A Brief Review of the Bouldercombe Battery Project
Genex Power energized the Bouldercombe Battery Project in June, 2023, where after work proceeded with connecting it to the grid. Its Media News site describes the installation as a two-hour “50MW/100MWh Tesla battery storage facility”. This facility will “focus on frequency control ancillary services,” they say “and will also earn additional revenue from energy arbitrage”.
The storage facility is at a midpoint between the “renewables rich area in North Queensland, and the load centers at Gladstone and the south,” the Media News continues. The work was proceeding on schedule and within budget, until one of the 40 Tesla Megapack energy storage units caught fire.
Genex Power Decides to Allow the Fire to Burn Out
Lithium-ion battery fires are hot, and very dangerous, because they cause “hazardous smoke” according to News Com Au. Their reporter confirms “the fire is being allowed to burn out under the supervision of the fire brigade”. And that this decision “relies on advice from the Queensland fire brigade and protocols provided by Tesla”.
Paul Christensen is an electrochemistry professor at Newcastle University in the UK. He told the News Com Au reporter “In my view … the penetration of these fantastic devices into all levels of our society has far outstripped our knowledge of the risks and hazards. If that gas gets out in an uncontrolled fashion, it can – and has – caused rocket-like flames or even explosions.”
We are happy to learn that local firefighters are adopting a hands-off approach to the situation, by cooling surrounding batteries with water. Meanwhile the Queensland Fire and Emergency Services website confirms, “Nearby residents are advised to keep doors and windows closed. Those suffering from a respiratory condition should keep their medications close by.”
More Information
Lithium-Ion Battery Farm Alarms Community
Thacker Pass Lithium Deposits Appear Vast
Preview Image Installation of Megapacks
