Demeestere M., Lecocq A., Fayet G., 2016, Safety Issues Related to Stationary Electrochemical Energy Storage on Industrial Sites, Chemical Engineering Transactions, 48, 595-600.
The present contribution discusses the safety issues related to stationary applications of electrochemical energy storage on hazardous industrial plants. Although only few accidents related to stationary electrochemical energy storage were reported, past accidents like the fire which occurred on a sodium-sulphur stationary system in September 2011 in Joso City (Japan) remind that the roll-out of such emerging technologies on industrial sites should be considered as both hazard sources and targets of potential domino effects. Different technologies of stationary batteries exist, from low to high energy/power ratio, according to their intended use. These various technologies, together with the different configurations that can be expected on an industrial site, are addressed. A number of standards specify tests to evaluate the safety and abuse tolerance of batteries for mobile and stationary applications. Some of them can be viewed in parallel with the French approach for controlling major accident hazards on industrial sites. It appears that some tests may enable to exclude some events from the quantification of the annual probability of occurrence of an accident scenario, which can provide greater flexibility for the hazardous industrial sites.
