A software programming error in a heat suppression system caused the incident that damaged Vistra Corp.’s Moss Landing Energy Storage Facility in California, according to investigative findings released by the company.
Moss Landing Phase I (300 MW/1,200 MWh) has been offline since the Sept. 4, 2021 incident. Responding emergency crews that day found scorched battery racks and melted wires.
The facility uses a heat suppression system that protects against thermal runaway in individual battery modules. That system’s preaction zones consist of carbon steel header pipes that are connected by flexible hoses to rack piping, which has sprinkler nozzles that are inserted into each battery module.
