Lithium-ion batteries have dominated bulk energy storage from the beginning. However, lead-acid and redox flow batteries have also had their takers because of greater stability and safety. Now Mining.Com is wondering whether a string of lithium-ion battery explosions could shift the balance. The most recent one occurred Friday April 19, 2019 at a U.S. utility.
Could There Be a String of Battery Explosions in the USA
We can’t comment definitively, although Mining.Com says local regulators are demanding answers. Bloomberg NEF reports at least 21 fires … occurred at battery projects in South Korea.
The first of the U.S. battery explosions happened at a Pinnacle West Capital Corp. utility in Surprise, Arizona. This Maricopa County city is home to some 130,000 residents. It is also the spring training home of the Kansas City Royals and the Texas Rangers baseball teams. The Pinnacle West explosion comes at an unfortunate moment for the battery industry writes Mining.Com in a breaking news article.
Could More Explosions Threaten the Future of Lithium-Ion?
“If these fires continue to occur, it doesn’t bode well for the industry in the short term,” says analyst Ravi Manghani. “And the lithium energy storage market will almost certainly slow down as other technologies mature and costs fall. Therefore it would certainly erode lithium-ion’s advantage.”
Pinnacle West’s Arizona Public Service is planning on adding 850 megawatts storage by 2025. This would be sufficient to light up more than 600,000 homes at once. However, it has now advised the Arizona regulator it temporarily closed two other battery storage systems following the explosion. This injured at least four brave firefighters, something the industry does not need either.
A company spokesperson Jill Hanks said the incident probably involved some sort of “equipment failure.” Meanwhile the company says it will press ahead with its battery storage plans.
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