Smoke and vanadium leak from Swiss home energy storage unit

Police in the Swiss canton of Thurgau on Sunday reported a “fire and chemical rescue operation in an apartment building” in Arbon which involved a vanadium leak.

The police had been alerted shortly after 7:30 a.m. due to smoke in the basement of the building. The police stated its initial investigation found “Around 500 l of vanadium (electrical fluid) leaked out of the photovoltaic system in the basement.”

The police refused to answer pv magazine‘s questions about whether a solar array or vanadium redox flow energy storage unit had caught fire, citing an ongoing investigation.

Prolux Solutions, which manufactured the vanadium energy storage unit installed at the property, told pv magazine there was no fire and firefighters who arrived at the scene at 7:45 a.m. did not have to extinguish anything, nor was there any heat in evidence. Arbon-based Prolux said 50 l of vanadium electrolyte, rather than 500 l, had leaked and was diluted and collected by the Thurgau Chemical Rescue Service. Prolux, which is owned by Chinese electrical company Midea Group, said 50 l comprised around 10% of the vanadium tank’s contents and the remaining electrolyte was pumped out.

While the electronics of the energy storage unit were affected, Prolux said “Another storage unit located directly next to the affected device (in a cascade) was not damaged.”

The police suspect a technical defect occurred, based on initial investigations, and experts will now try to fully determine the cause.

The residents of the building were out when the incident occurred and no-one was injured. They were able to return to their apartments after the fire department ventilated the basement.

Police have estimated property damage of several tens of thousands of Swiss francs.

From pv magazine Deutschland.