A fire has broken out in a recently completed large-scale battery in regional Queensland, sending hazardous smoke into the air.
Police and firefighters were called to the power sub-station at Bouldercombe, near Rockhampton, on Tuesday night.
Police said the fire was believed to have started in a lithium battery storage unit at 7.45pm and warned there was a risk it could spread to other nearby batteries, “creating a larger hazard”.
Firefighters were dowsing nearby batteries in work police said could last several days.
The Queensland Fire and Emergency Services told residents to close their doors and windows and keep medication close if needed for respiratory conditions.
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They were warned to be ready for the possibility of a police door-knock but about 4am on Wednesday a police spokesman said he hadn’t heard about any updates from the scene.
When the Bouldercombe Battery Project — nicknamed Big Bessie — was energised just two months ago, the government said it would “help revolutionise (the) way energy supply and demand can be managed during peak times”.
With a capacity of 50MW and the ability to store 100MWh of energy, it was enough to power more than 4000 homes a year, according to the government.
