batteryclearinghouse
New Member
- Joined
- Dec 9, 2019
- Messages
- 47
Please be very careful..
LG Chem - fire hazard with decommissioned Lithium Polymer ESS batteries/cells
Here are some news stories...
www.rechargenews.com
www.koreaittimes.com
ESS stands for Energy Storage Systems... Basically huge power banks that look like server racks in a datacenter or densely packed in shipping container like structure outside.
LG Chem was a major producer of these types of ESS battery systems used all around the world. Their ESS product used a high voltage Lithium Polymer battery pack. There where several different model and voltage types.
There where several facility fires over the years and they where traced back to these lithium polymer battery packs. It was discovered that there was a manufacturing defect in the design that could not be repaired. LG Chem shut down their ESS division and decommissioned all their ESS facilities. Then their customers also started decommissioning their facilities. Within a few weeks, there where truck loads of these batteries that needed to be destroyed.
As you would expect, some companies are attempting to sell the battery packs to recyclers for reuse without disclosing the reason why they where pulled out of production. This saves them having to pay for destruction/disposal costs.
Note.... LG Chem makes a variety of different types of batteries. The issue is only with batteries made by the ESS division. This was a big news story in Korea at the time.
I have attached some photos of the complete unit. I do not have photos of the individual cell packs, but there are smaller packs inside. These are rack mounted units, so these types of Lithium Polymer cells tend to be flat and rectangle.
I am not a huge fan of large used Lithium Polymer batteries because of exactly this topic.
anyways.. I know they will creep into the market at some point and wanted to give a general heads up.
LG Chem - fire hazard with decommissioned Lithium Polymer ESS batteries/cells
Here are some news stories...
Safety crackdown after string of fires hit wind and solar batteries
South Korean government unveils sweeping new measures after 23 blazes at energy storage systems
www.rechargenews.com
LG Chem stops ESS operation in the wake of a series of fires
LG Chem requested the shutdown of energy storage systems (ESS), which use its own batteries, on Jan. 15, according to the Elec. Times.There have been eight fires in ESSs that use LG Chem's batteries since November last year, and ESSs that use the company's batteries have caught fire on Jan.
www.koreaittimes.com
ESS stands for Energy Storage Systems... Basically huge power banks that look like server racks in a datacenter or densely packed in shipping container like structure outside.
LG Chem was a major producer of these types of ESS battery systems used all around the world. Their ESS product used a high voltage Lithium Polymer battery pack. There where several different model and voltage types.
There where several facility fires over the years and they where traced back to these lithium polymer battery packs. It was discovered that there was a manufacturing defect in the design that could not be repaired. LG Chem shut down their ESS division and decommissioned all their ESS facilities. Then their customers also started decommissioning their facilities. Within a few weeks, there where truck loads of these batteries that needed to be destroyed.
As you would expect, some companies are attempting to sell the battery packs to recyclers for reuse without disclosing the reason why they where pulled out of production. This saves them having to pay for destruction/disposal costs.
Note.... LG Chem makes a variety of different types of batteries. The issue is only with batteries made by the ESS division. This was a big news story in Korea at the time.
I have attached some photos of the complete unit. I do not have photos of the individual cell packs, but there are smaller packs inside. These are rack mounted units, so these types of Lithium Polymer cells tend to be flat and rectangle.
I am not a huge fan of large used Lithium Polymer batteries because of exactly this topic.
anyways.. I know they will creep into the market at some point and wanted to give a general heads up.
