Hazards of New Energy Storage
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June 20, 2022 - As current and pending US legislation pushes us toward more sustainable energy solutions, alternative energy sources including wind and solar are becoming increasingly important. And while these power generating sources offer low-carbon emission energy, they also require unique, and often very dangerous energy storage infrastructures that can perpetuate unprecedented health and safety challenges.
When wind and solar sources are not available (meaning when the sun goes down, the skies are cloudy, or the wind just simply isn’t blowing), the storing and releasing of previously captured energy is very difficult. Currently, this power is stockpiled into high-capacity battery energy storage systems (BESSs), much like the smaller but also high-powered versions used in electric vehicles (EVs).
While these BESSs are emerging as the most effective and portable way to distribute power to electrical grids, EVs, etc., storing these systems is an entirely different issue. These batteries come with certain hazards that many people are completely unaware of.
EVs and the associated charging it needs have unique risks in operation, charging, and emergency response that need to be recognized and addressed. When an EV containing a lithium battery catches fire, it creates serious industrial hygiene exposures that firefighters are not necessarily equipped to handle. These fires release toxic, volatile fumes that can cause a chain reaction of chemical explosions; they burn much faster, much hotter, and require far more water to extinguish. What’s more, these fires can re-ignite days or even weeks after it is believed to be controlled.
We all remember the cargo ship full of luxury vehicles that sank off the coast of Portugal earlier this year. One by one the EV batteries on board caught fire and resulted in a total loss of goods valuing over $400 million. Not only was all the cargo onboard lost, but the ship itself sank because firefighters were unable to extinguish the blaze. Incidents such as this are expected to continue as BESSs, and EV batteries are looked too as a cleaner source of energy.
Thornhill will present this topic at ASSP’s Safety 2022 conference on June 28 in Chicago. There she will specifically address the types of high energy storage batteries used in wind, solar, vehicles, and other alternative energy generation and application areas along with the hazards associated with construction, use, and disposal of this emerging technology solutions. The session will also cover an introduction to the standards and current practices associated with high energy storage batteries and conclude with emergency response current practices. Register for the event here.
