November 21, 2024

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Battery maker Samsung SDI said Oct. 14 that it will adopt a new fire control solution for its new and existing energy storage systems.

The safety measure involves using chemicals and materials that can prevent flames from spreading from one battery cell to another. 

“Samsung SDI will make all-out efforts to guarantee the safety of the firm’s ESSs,” said Kwon Young-no, chief financial officer of the company, during a briefing in Seoul.

“The implementation of the new fire control system will cost approximately 150-200 billion won ($127-169 million),” he added.

There have been concerns about ESSs, which are often used to provide backup power for offices, factories and power plants, as some of the energy systems have ignited for yet-unknown causes, leading to billions of won in damage.

From January 2017 to September 2019, there were 25 fires caused by allegedly faulty ESS products, according to the office of lawmaker Choi In-ho. The combined damage amounts to 38.2 billion won. Of the cases, 13 involved ESSs made by LG Chem, while nine took place at business sites that used Samsung SDI’s energy systems.

Samsung SDI said it has made efforts to beef up safety measures, though it has been proven that its products were not liable for the fires.

Since last year, the company has had all of its ESSs installed with sensors designed to detect impact during shipment, and with solutions that prevent surge and overvoltage.

The firm’s safety measures are aimed at regaining trust from its customers and easing concerns over the safety of ESSs, according to the battery firm.

By Kim Young-won (wone0102@heraldcorp.com)