A Lake Macquarie Battery May Have Caused the Fire That Killed Two People

A lithium-ion battery appears to have sparked the fire which killed two people in their Lake Macquarie home last week. FRNSW investigators believe the battery was compromised and went into Thermal Runaway, where a cell overheats and releases toxic gases before exploding.

Origin Energy is moving ahead with plans for a large-scale battery, the biggest in Australia, at its Eraring coal-fired power station site. The project will provide long duration storage to maintain reliable supply after Eraring’s closure in 2025.

Responsible disposal of household problem waste

Putting batteries in your recycling bin can cause fires that can damage waste trucks or facilities. Rechargeable batteries are especially hazardous and should not be put in your household recycling or garbage bin. Tape the terminals of rechargeable batteries to prevent them from catching fire.

It’s only a matter of time before a carelessly-placed battery or e-waste fire causes serious damage to a waste facility, truck or essential worker. It’s important to responsibly dispose of household problem waste through specialised recycling and disposal services.

Common household problem wastes like fluorescent lights, smoke detectors, paint, gas bottles, e-waste and oils can be dropped off at NSW EPA’s permanent Community Recycling Centres throughout the year or at a Household Chemical CleanOut event. Check with your local electronics store or mobile phone provider for rechargeable battery recycling options. Alternatively, place these and other battery types in your household recycling bin if it has a label with the B-cycle logo on it.

Lithium-ion battery recycling drop-off point

Battery recycling isn’t just good for the environment; it’s also necessary for safety. Discarded batteries that aren’t properly recycled can get hot and spark a fire, as has happened in recent incidents. In addition, battery recycling reduces the need for new mineral extraction, a benefit to the environment.

Many people discard lithium-ion batteries in landfills, where they can leak chemicals into the soil and water supply. These chemicals, including heavy metals like cobalt and nickel, can poison plant life and pollute the environment. Moreover, they can generate leachate, which is toxic when rainwater filters through waste materials and seeps into groundwater.

To help residents responsibly recycle their old batteries, the city offers special waste drop-off points. These sites are open Saturdays and Fridays and can be accessed by bringing in your old alkaline or rechargeable batteries, as long as you take steps to prepare them for recycling. You can find a list of these locations on the city’s website.

Lithium-ion battery safety advice

Keeping workers safe when handling lithium batteries is a key part of good workplace safety. Warehouses should follow manufacturer instructions for all battery storage and transport, including ensuring that all terminals are covered and not touching each other to prevent shorting out or overheating.

Lithium-ion rechargeable batteries are found in many electronic devices, including mobile phones and laptops, e-scooters and residential solar battery systems. But they can be dangerous if damaged or misused, with fires and explosions possible.

Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) investigators say a compromised lithium-ion battery is the likely cause of a housefire north of Sydney last week that killed two people. They said the battery went into ‘thermal runaway’, where it overheats and gives off toxic gases before exploding in flames. FRNSW has issued advice on the use of these batteries and devices.

Lithium-ion battery recycling FAQ

There is no one path that lithium batteries take at the end of their lives. However, most are recycled or legitimately reused. This conserves critical minerals and other valuable materials and is a better option than disposal.

Battery recyclers can shred waste batteries or process them into “black mass” (a cake-like material made up of shredded cathodes and anodes). Black masses can contain toxic heavy metals including cobalt and graphite, which are considered critical minerals.

These minerals are essential to the economy and national security. They are also vulnerable to disruption in supply, and we risk losing them outright when we throw batteries in the trash or incinerators. If you want to make sure your batteries are being processed responsibly, look for a battery recycler that is certified as NAID, R2, or e-Stewards, which have stringent requirements such as surprise plant inspections and audits. These facilities avoid sending e-waste to other countries. They also ensure workers are protected from exposure to toxic substances.

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