Applications & Installations

Water isn’t always the best answer to BESS fires

Fire protection engineers urge a defensive approach to battery fires, focusing on preventing thermal runaway from spreading rather than putting flames out directly.
Phoebe Skok
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Phoebe Skok
Image: Wärtsilä

From ESS News

In the event of a battery energy storage system (BESS) fire, a gut reaction may be to douse the system in water. But that’s not always the best response.

Battery experts instead suggest a more defensive cooling approach that prioritizes fire containment over fire suppression.

“We primarily deal with two hazards: normal fire events and explosion events,” Mishaal SyedNaveed, a senior fire protection engineer at Wärtsilä Energy Storage, told pv magazine USA. He explained that battery failure risks thermal runaway, which boosts the risk of explosions if gases ignite. As such, SyedNaveed noted, directly spraying liquid on the battery enclosure can actually make things worse.

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