Samsung SDI's ESS safety technology gains global recognition

By Jun Ji-hye

Samsung SDI's energy storage system (ESS) has passed a test developed by global safety certification company UL that recognized its ability to prevent large-scale fires in the systems, the Korean company said Sunday.

The lithium-ion battery manufacture said it was the first company in the world to fulfill the rack-level safety standards of the UL9540A test.

Developed in April last year, the test evaluates cell, module, rack and system-level safety, measuring the characteristics of thermal runaway, and the amount and composition of gas during such an event. The test results are utilized to define mitigation strategies against ESS fires or explosions.

The racks that satisfy the test standards can be installed without a separate fire-fighting system.

“We were able to satisfy the UL9540A test for the first time in the industry, based on our efforts to put safety first,” said Seo Kyung-hoon, a vice president in the Samsung SDI marketing team. “We are committed to developing the best-in-class, market-leading ESS safety technology.”

After several ESS fires over the past few years, Samsung SDI has been taking steps to prevent them in a bid to restore confidence in the ESS industry here.

The company has developed a set of enhanced safety measures, including the application of a special fire extinguishing system.