Lithium batteries are set to power the world—and pose new fire risks
SEOUL : To the makers of smartphones, power grids and electric vehicles, lithium—the lightest metal—allows batteries to become supercharged, underpinning hopes for a greener economy and longer-lasting devices. But the very traits that make lithium game changing for energy storage can pose overpowering challenges should the batteries ever catch fire. Incidents involving lithium-battery fires are becoming more common around the world, raising safety concerns.
Water isn’t always an effective combatant for certain types of lithium-battery fires, leaving little option other than waiting things out or using costly suppressants, firefighting experts say. Combating fires involving lithium-batteries can be difficult due to the emission of toxic gases. Then there is the heat: the lithium produces searing temperatures more akin to a welding torch than a typical blaze, capable of slicing through protective gear or an extremity.
The world saw the risks of lithium-battery fires on Monday in South Korea, where at least 23 workers died in one of the country’s worst industrial accidents in recent memory. Local investigators are still determining the blaze’s exact cause. Some 35,000 battery cells were thought to have been stored on-site—and video footage of the fire showed occasional flashes that produced thunderous booms like a detonated bomb.
On Tuesday, Park Soon-kwan, chief executive of the battery maker Aricell, apologized for the incident. He added the company had complied with all required safety precautions and training, and would cooperate fully with authorities. Later in the day, local police charged Park, along with four other company officials, for causing death and injury due to occupational or gross negligence.
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