FAQ | Get Charged Ottawa

Fire risk is very low for BESS facilities and, as is the case with any electrical equipment, that risk is easily mitigated when managed properly. We are committed to building our projects to the highest standard of safety with industry-leading equipment to be managed and operated by battery storage experts. In addition, we work closely with local firefighting professionals, safety experts, and City officials throughout the development and design of the project to coordinate detailed emergency response planning.

Brookfield is a global leader in energy project development, including BESS. We successfully operate BESS facilities across three continents, including North America. With our earliest installation coming online in 2013, we’ve experienced no fire incidents.

The fire at the California battery facility should not be seen as a reason for concern when it comes to our BESS facilities.

The Moss Landing fire was attributed to several factors:

The battery chemistry used was Nickel Manganese Cobalt (NMC) technology, which is proven to be less safe.
The containers were housed inside an enclosed space, reducing ventilation and increasing the risk of propagation, as we saw.
The facility lacked the new and improved safety standards that containerized, LFP batteries undergo, such as large-scale burn testing.
It was a first-generation BESS designed over seven years ago, since which time safety standards have drastically improved.

All local context, including emergency evacuation routes for nearby residents, is considered as part of a project’s Emergency Response Plan, which is prepared in consultation with the Ottawa Fire Services.

While we are committed to preparing for any scenario, we reiterate that the probability of a potential fire incident is extremely low, as is the severity should one occur. There have been hundreds of burn tests done on these facilities, including with our preferred battery selection. In addition to the fact that these units are extremely difficult to intentionally set fire to, the testing and real-world incident data show that any fires are contained within a project site.

All batteries will be equipped with a battery management system to ensure they are operated within safe operational thresholds. The battery management system is designed to shut the system down before an incident can occur.

In consultation with City of Ottawa Fire Services and international experts, our project will incorporate state-of-the-art preventative measures, including:

Multiple sensors, including on each individual battery cell, being monitored 24/7 from our Networks Operation Centre (NOC)
Built-in real-time temperature control systems
Ventilation panels
Insulated containers
An outdoor, well-ventilated configuration

In the highly unlikely event of a fire, the fire alarm system will notify the Ottawa Fire Services (OFS). The OFS will respond to and monitor the event.

In consultation with OFS and the Energy Safety Response Group, industry best practice is to allow the fire to consume itself while maintaining the safety of the community and first responders. This has been proven to be a very manageable approach, and the safest one.

Please share:

i. The environmental consequences of such incidents.

ii. The responses to such an incident including successes as well as failures.

iii. The dimensions of the containment area.

iv. Details of studies that have monitored the long-term impact of all such incidences.

We evaluated numerous containerized LFP battery vendors and prioritized fire safety as one of our primary criteria. As a result, the facility we are proposing is not comparable to the select few older facilities with reported fire incidents. Our preferred battery vendor has experienced no fire incidents with over 25,000 MWh deployed across facilities globally.

City of Ottawa Fire Services and their highly trained firefighters are well equipped to handle battery fire and chemical spill incidents. In controlled burns under worst-case scenarios, all LFP battery fires exhausted themselves. The project has secondary containment in each individual container, and our stormwater management system will adhere to or exceed all municipal and provincial requirements.

In his public remarks at a meeting of Ottawa City Council’s Agricultural and Rural Affairs Committee, Fire Chief Paul Hutt noted, “I can share with members of the committee and the public, it goes without saying, but we have very highly trained and skilled personnel with Ottawa Fire Services; we have modern technology and equipment for response.”

Large-scale burn tests have recently been conducted on the equipment that we are looking to purchase, and these tests have shown there is no risk to the public from air contamination.

We have also conducted preliminary air dispersion modelling with a third-party consultant to better represent the local context, which confirmed that there is no risk to the public from air contamination.

The results from both studies will be released publicly once finalized.

All batteries will be equipped with a battery management system to ensure they are operated within safe operational thresholds. The battery management system is designed to shut the system down before a failure that could lead to a fire.

In consultation with City of Ottawa Fire Services and international experts, we are looking to integrate:

Multiple sensors, including on each individual battery cell, being monitored 24/7 from our Networks Operation Centre
Built-in real-time temperature control systems
Dry-pipe fire suppression systems
Fire hydrants
Ventilation panels
On-site reservoirs
Run-off containment systems
Constant environmental monitoring including groundwater, air, and soil

In the highly unlikely event of a fire, the fire alarm system will notify the Ottawa Fire Services (OFS). OFS will respond to and monitor the event. In consultation with OFS and the Energy Safety Response Group, industry best practice is to allow the fire to consume itself while maintaining the safety of the community and first responders. This has been proven to be a manageable and safe approach.

OFS is responsible for the immediate emergency response, and Evolugen is required by law to remove impacted equipment and debris.

Residents' Questions

What fire risks does the project pose, and how is Evolugen working to prevent these risks?

Sensors for lithium off-gases of the storage system will be monitored from another province.

Will more batteries be added as the efficacy of the initial batteries deplete? Does this increase the risk of fire?

What is the proximity to forested areas?

Should the January 2025 Moss Landing fire in California be a cause for concern for these BESS facilities?

Some roads only have one road in and out. Does the project’s emergency planning take this into account?

What fire prevention strategies will be applied at the facility?

Please describe the emergency response process to fight a fire. Is there a successful response to a fire other than to let it “burn” out?

Has there been a controlled fire on a BESS where the entire storage area burned? If not, why not? If so, what was the outcome? How much of the toxins leached into the ground or the air?

Please provide all incidents with facilities similar to this one where an incident detrimental to the environment occurred.

Are local fire departments trained to handle incidents such as battery fires or chemical leaks? How will you guarantee that the ground water or the air are protected from potential contamination?

What is the risk of particulates contaminating the air during a BESS fire?

Will details on the fire-suppression technology/chemistry that will be used and its effect on the environment in the event of a fire become publicly available? Who is responsible for cleanup following a fire?

Will the monitoring of sensors and cameras be done on a 24/7 basis and by humans?