HiTHIUM Completes Groundbreaking Open-Door Fire Test on 5MWh BESS, Redefining Industry Safety Standards

Global energy storage innovator HiTHIUM has set a new industry standard by completing the world’s first all open-door large-scale fire test for its ∞Block 5MWh Battery Energy Storage System (BESS). The landmark test—designed to address escalating concerns about thermal runaway and BESS safety—introduced four extreme challenges that far exceed conventional safety protocols:

1. Unrestricted Combustion: Container doors remained fully open throughout the test, intensifying oxygen flow and creating conditions harsher than traditional closed-door scenarios.

2. 15cm Proximity Under Fire: Modules placed just 15cm apart withstood flames exceeding 1,300°C without thermal propagation, proving unmatched close-range isolation.

3. Zero Active Suppression: All firefighting systems were disabled, relying solely on passive protection to endure prolonged combustion.

4. Maximum Energy Threat: Batteries operated at 100% State of Charge (SOC), maximizing thermal stress to validate worst-case stability.

Conducted by UL Solutions and witnessed by U.S. fire protection engineers and clients, the 15-hour inferno adhered to UL 9540A and NFPA 855 standards. Crucially, flames never spread to adjacent containers, and the BESS structure remained intact—validating HiTHIUM’s passive thermal isolation architecture.

As energy storage deployments surge globally, this test establishes a rigorous new benchmark for safety validation. HiTHIUM’s breakthrough underscores its commitment to mitigating industry risks through innovation, providing critical data to shape future safety regulations and collaborative standards.

Edit by paco