Moss Landing battery fire: Work begins to remove and recycle 55,000 burned batteries from wrecked oceanfront power plant

Published: Aug 14, 2025 16:17
[SMM New Energy News Flash] Seven months after a massive fire at Vistra’s Moss Landing battery storage plant, one of the world’s largest — the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced cleanup will begin in September to remove over 50,000 burned lithium-ion batteries. The operation, expected to take more than a year, will involve dismantling parts of the damaged building, transporting hazardous materials out of California, and recycling usable components. The January 16 blaze, the largest battery storage fire in U.S. history, forced 1,200 residents to evacuate and raised serious safety concerns for the rapidly growing battery storage industry. The cause of the fire remains under investigation, with damages estimated at $400 million. Vistra will fund the cleanup under EPA oversight, facing steep fines for violations. Local officials welcome the action but note the industry still lacks standardized safety protocols for dealing with such volatile technology.

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