Lee Gyu-lee is a business writer at The Korea Times, focusing primarily on IT & telecommunications, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and KOTRA. Prior to this, she has covered a wide range of cultural news, from film, television and K-pop to lifestyle and fashion.
Samsung SDI 1st to meet global indoor battery fire safety standard
Samsung SDI's UPS battery
By Lee Gyu-lee
Samsung SDI said Tuesday its uninterruptible power supply (UPS) batteries have become the first in the industry to pass a global indoor fire safety test, bolstering its competitiveness in the fast-growing artificial intelligence (AI) data center market.
The battery maker said its UPS batteries met all criteria in UL Solutions' Indoor Large-Scale Fire Test (LSFT), becoming the first in the world to meet the standard.
UPS systems provide emergency power during outages or voltage fluctuations and are considered critical infrastructure for AI data centers, where uninterrupted power is essential.
The Indoor LSFT, introduced by UL Solutions earlier this year, evaluates whether a fire intentionally ignited in a battery module spreads to adjacent racks or systems under conditions that simulate real-world UPS operations.
During the test, the battery module in which thermal runaway was intentionally initiated was completely consumed by fire, but the flames did not spread to adjacent racks. According to Samsung SDI, no gas release, explosion or rupture was observed, and the system met all required safety and performance criteria.
The company added that the fire was extinguished without activating overhead sprinkler systems, demonstrating the effectiveness of its fire safety technology.
Samsung SDI attributed the result to its proprietary thermal propagation prevention technology, which combines a specially engineered system structure with lithium manganese oxide battery materials known for their high power output and thermal stability. The company also incorporated its prismatic battery technology, including aluminum casings designed to withstand heat and mechanical stress, as well as gas-release vents.
As global technology companies and AI data center operators increasingly seek independently verified fire safety performance when selecting battery suppliers, Samsung SDI said the certification is expected to strengthen its competitiveness in the growing AI infrastructure market.
The company plans to expand its presence in the AI data center and energy storage system markets by leveraging its fire safety technologies across its product lineup, including UPS batteries and the Samsung Battery Box.
"Meeting the Indoor LSFT requirements validates Samsung SDI's differentiated fire safety technologies," a company official said. "We will continue to deliver reliable energy solutions for a wide range of applications, including AI data center energy storage systems."