Battery fires are a relatively new phenomenon, and some operators or users operating energy storage systems have limited experience in using them and have not adopted the best and safest handling methods specified in the standards. This means increasing the personal risk to emergency response application personnel and firefighters.
The highly anticipated lithium-ion battery energy storage system fire has sparked increasing concerns about its safety and exposed a lack of understanding of the risks associated with such technologies. Specifically, the battery energy storage system fire incident has affected people's confidence in the development of the battery energy storage industry, leading to the postponement or even cancellation of battery energy storage projects in some countries and regions around the world.
Firetrace, a fire technology supplier headquartered in the United States; In a recent research report released by International, it was claimed that "due to concerns about fire winds, there may be a significant increase in public opposition to the deployment and operation of battery energy storage systems, which will threaten the deployment of critical battery energy storage systems and make it difficult to achieve net zero goals
More importantly, the fire incidents in battery energy storage systems have also had an impact on the insurance market. In its report, Firetrace; The evidence provided by International suggests that due to a decrease in user interest in deploying energy storage projects, some insurance companies have even withdrawn from the energy storage market.
The report titled "How to Reduce the Fire Risk of Battery Energy Storage" states, "This leads to increased or overspending insurance costs. Therefore, addressing the fire risk of battery energy storage systems has become a focus of attention for owners, contractors, and operators
This report focuses on the different types of fire hazards faced by energy storage projects, as well as the ways in which the industry has reduced these risks by planning, designing, constructing, and installing fire protection systems.
Finally, the report emphasizes three steps that energy storage system manufacturers, energy storage developers, and owners need to take to reduce fire risk.
（1）Installing a water-based fire protection system is the most effective measure in cooling battery energy storage system fires (however, it is important to note that water-based fire extinguishers can cool the battery and help prevent fire spread, but do not extinguish the flame on the battery until its energy dissipates) 。
（2）Adopting a battery management system for monitoring, controlling, and optimizing the performance of individual or multiple batteries, and supporting disconnection.
（3）Divide the battery energy storage system into small segments, limit the energy storage capacity to a certain range, and physically isolate it from other small segments.
Some of the main reasons that may cause lithium-ion batteries to catch fire are inherent defects in the battery, improper installation, physical abuse, or operation of the battery energy storage system beyond specified parameters (such as charging rate, charging state, or temperature). Once triggered, a battery fire is a self-sustaining process that is difficult to extinguish.
Brian Cashon, Engineering Manager at Firetrace International, stated: Some firefighting companies claim that their firefighting systems can suppress lithium-ion battery fires and prevent thermal runaway. We believe that the battery energy storage industry is currently unable to make such claims because there is currently no publicly available test data to prove these claims are correct in real-world testing scenarios, which may trigger public scrutiny. Therefore, finding the right solution is crucial.”
He pointed out that "with correct planning, design, and collaboration, it can be achieved.”
Finally, the report emphasizes the role of regulatory measures in mitigating battery storage system fires and suggests modifications to the current framework in the United States.
Firetrace International stated that energy storage fire risk regulations in the United States are developed on a state by state basis, which has caused significant confusion and forced energy storage system operators to modify their fire protection systems to comply with the constantly changing regulatory framework.
The report suggests that other states should follow the International Fire Code (IFC) by following the example of New York and California.
Source: China Energy Storage Network