Lithium batteries have many benefits, but we do need to install them and use them safely. So says Dr. Kai-Philipp Kairies, scientist and entrepreneur with a special interest in innovative battery energy storage. He posted a thought piece in PV Tech Power reviewing what we can do to improve lithium battery safety further.
Lithium Batteries Have Made Incredible Strides
The drive to decarbonization demands more expansive storage solutions, and in far greater quantities. Putting matters in perspective, lithium battery output from Volkswagen’s new SalzGiga factory will exceed all 2013 sales, Energy Storage News observes. There are several reasons for this exponential growth:
- Renewable electrical energy in cars, ships, buses: large-scale lithium storage systems
- Superior energy density in lithium batteries: until recently, falling lithium mineral prices.
Why We Need to Talk About Lithium Battery Safety
Lithium chemistry has a natural tendency to overheat. Advanced technology almost always controls this. However, isolated incidents inevitably increase, due to exponential production expansion.
Moreover, many new industry players are rushing to market, and fires and explosions pepper social media. But how serious is the need for better lithium battery safety really? Dr. Kai-Philipp Kairies reveals three news-breaking lithium incidents:
- Cell failure at an Arizona public facility caused thermal runaway in 2019. This lead to an explosion killing several first responders.
- Fire destroyed 4 bus depots, and over 80 electric buses in UK, France, and Germany between April 2021 and May 2022.
- Thousands of electric scooters, and other lithium-battery-power devices caught fire – and some exploded – since 2020.
Is This Situation Receiving Sufficient Attention?
Dr. Kai-Philipp Kairies believes this may not be the case. While he concedes ‘everyone in the industry agrees that battery safety should be the top priority’, management expectations and production pressures create ‘conflicting priorities’.
The strong drive to bring new innovations to market may obscure the fact more energy increases the overheating risk, he suggests. We discuss options to prevent critical lithium battery failures in the next but one post.
More Information
The Chemistry of an Electric Battery
