A 13-tonne lithium battery in a shipping container burned for four days until firefighters declared the fire under control on Monday afternoon.
More than 30 fire trucks and 150 CFA and Fire Rescue Victoria (FRV) firefighters responded after the battery caught fire at Moorabool last Friday morning.
“There was one battery pack on fire to start with, but it did spread to a second pack that was very close to it,” District 7 acting assistant chief fire officer Ian Beswicke said that afternoon.
“The plan is that we keep it cool on the outside and protect the exposures so it doesn’t cause any issues for any of the other components in the power station.”
Firefighters opened all doors to the container of the battery about 3pm on Monday, declaring “no sign of fire”.
Fire investigators were onsite on Tuesday to inspect the aftermath, with firefighters remaining to take regular temperature readings as a precaution.
The battery is part of a complex set to become Australia’s largest lithium-ion battery.
The Big Battery is a joint collaboration between French renewable energy corporation Neoen, tech giant Tesla and state and federal governments.
The companies initially expected the complex to be complete by November. Neoen has yet to announce if the fire will delay construction.
