FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

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What is thermal runaway?

Thermal runaway is the chain reaction which happens inside a lithium-ion battery where internal heat generation exceeds the battery’s ability to dissipate the heat. This causes rapid temperatures rises, venting of toxic gases and can lead to intense fires and explosions.

Are these Toxic Gases harmful?

Thermal runaway is the chain reaction which happens inside a lithium-ion battery where internal heat generation exceeds the battery’s ability to dissipate the heat. This causes rapid temperatures rises, venting of toxic gases and can lead to intense fires and explosions.

How hot do Lithium-Ion fires burn?

Lithium-Ion batteries can burn extremely hot – typically in the region of 1,000°C to 1,500°C and in some extreme cases going as high as 2,200°C. In those instances, most metals and ceramics used in construction would melt, severely comprising a materials structural integrity.

Can these types of fires be put out?
Yes, however using traditional firefighting techniques fires of this nature are extremely difficult to fully extinguish often requiring several thousands of litres of water or full submersion for days. In one dramatic example, an EV explosion injured 21 people, damaged around 70 cars, and took 8 hours and 40 minutes to extinguish—even though the vehicle was not charging at the time.

Our Emergency Response Cabinets provide specialist equipment designed to support fire crews in managing high-risk Lithium-ion battery fires. This partnered with proactive monitoring allows for rapid deployment of this specialist equipment to contain a lithium-ion battery fire before it gets too hot.

I have a Fire Risk Assessment for my business so surely, I am covered?
Fire Risk Assessments are a great tool to help you identify what could cause a fire, who might be harmed and what can be done to prevent or mitigate it. It is both a legal requirement and a tool designed to keep people and property safe, but it is not enough to mitigate these risks to an appropriate level. Only through more proactive measures can you really start to mitigate against these risks, reducing the likelihood of a fire incident, better protecting both your staff and business.

Our proactive, 24/7 monitoring system can provide your business with the preventative measures to reduce the likelihood of a Lithium-ion battery fire occurring on your premises. With our Emergency Response Cabinets providing specialist equipment to mitigate the impact of a lithium-ion battery fire.

Furthermore, we offer a range of storage and transport solutions with enhanced fire protection, which can be customised to suit your business needs/operations.

If these batteries are so dangerous then why are we using them?

Lithium-ion batteries offer a high energy density, allowing them to store significant amounts of energy in a compact form, as well as a high-power density, enabling them to deliver substantial power when required. They can be recharged hundreds or even thousands of times and are relatively lightweight — qualities that, combined with their energy efficiency, make them ideal for portable electronic devices. On a larger scale, lithium-ion batteries are used in in Electrical Vehicles (EV’s) as well as battery energy storage systems (BESS) to store energy such as solar panels.

However, these technological advantages are not without their own safety concerns if batteries are not properly manufactured, used, stored, and recycled.

Furthermore, the UK and other countries have committed themselves to achieving Net-Zero by 2050. A fundamental part of this target lies in decarbonising the transport sector by replacing traditional fossil fuel dependent vehicles with fully electric fleets. Many countries are now reacting to these targets through KPI’s enforced on car manufacturers and rapid deployment of critical EV infrastructure.

PROTECTING YOUR ASSETS. SAFEGUARDING YOUR PEOPLE.