A toxic fire at the Victorian Big Battery project has been brought under control by fire crews after burning for more than three days, with investigators now able to begin examining the site.
The blaze broke out in one of the Tesla Megapacks while the site was undergoing testing in Moorabool on Friday morning, with the fire then spreading to a second battery.
The fire burned throughout the weekend before it was declared under control just after 3pm on Monday.
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Fire crews will remain onsite as a precaution in case of reignition and will take temperature readings every two hours, the Country Fire Authority (CFA) said.
Investigations into how the fire started are now underway, with involvement from Energy Safe Victoria, WorkSafe, police and the CFA.
The 300MW battery project is owned and operated by French renewable company Neoen and was registered with the energy market operator on July 28.
Neoen Australia managing director Louis de Sambucy told AAP the company was conducting its own physical inspections and investigations.
CFA incident controller Ian Beswicke told The Guardian the fire had been particularly challenging due to the complex nature of the battery site.
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“This is the first Megapack fire that’s ever happened in the world, is our understanding,” he said.
“They are difficult to fight because you can’t put water on the Megapacks … all that does is extend the length of time that the fire burns for.”
Firefighters have taken advice from experts including battery manufacturer Tesla and UGL, which is installing the battery packs.
“The recommended process is you cool everything around it so the fire can’t spread and you let it burn out,” Beswicke said.
