Battery energy storage revealed as UK’s fastest growing area of fire suppression

The popularity of lithium-ion batteries as a stored source of energy for industries across the UK is becoming ever more prominent according to data released by one of the UK’s leading independent fire-suppression specialists, revealing a 300% increase in enquiries from UK-based companies seeking battery-energy-storage-specific fire-suppression solutions over the past 12 months alone.

The data, released by Nobel Fire Systems, relates to the 12-month period between December 2020 and December 2021, and compares enquiry numbers to the same time period the year prior.

According to Nobel’s data, a 300% increase in enquiries from companies seeking fire protection and suppression systems specific to lithium-ion battery energy storage systems (BESS) was witnessed over the past year, with enquiry numbers spiking in September 2021, coinciding with the fuel crisis in Britain. This is the biggest growth area of enquiries witnessed across all sectors serviced by Nobel in the past year.

Enquiry data has further revealed the sectors most frequently seeking BESS fire-suppression systems in the past 12 months, with the top three revealed as follows:

• BESS Owners and Investors
• Energy/Power Companies
• Commercial and Industrial (C&I)

‘The popularity of battery-energy storage systems is rising exponentially and we don’t see that slowing down anytime soon, especially when you look at what the past 12 months alone have resulted in enquiry-wise; a growth unlike any other industry,’ explained Managing Director Ian Bartle of Nobel Fire Systems. ‘This can certainly be explained by the increase in focus on renewable and alternative energy sources across the board, but what our data from the C&I sector shows is just how quickly this shift in focus is resulting in industries across multiple sectors actually taking action and installing BESS on their premises, making for a very promising outlook for the battery energy sector indeed.

‘These projects are typically smaller than the grid-scale projects seen at the outset of the BESS industry, but they are set to change the landscape of the country as assets such as factories, industrial parks, office buildings, hospitals, schools and EV charging forecourts look to improve their energy efficiency, enhance their energy security and even become energy self-sufficient.

‘What’s important is that, alongside this growth in popularity, awareness about the fire risks that lithium-ion batteries pose is raised. Unfortunately, fire regulations when it comes to BESS are still somewhat loose here in the UK, with no strict requirement in place for the detection/suppression of battery fires in the eyes of insurers. As a result, many companies with BESS on-site have inadequate protection in place in the event of a fire, where thermal runaway can cause catastrophic damage. We very much hope that this continuous growth in the BESS fire-suppression sector will encourage regulatory bodies to take note and put stricter measures in place to ensure better protection across the board.’

For further information, please visit the Nobel Fire Systems website at www.nobel-fire-systems.com