2022 Energy Storage Review: Energy Storage Safety Management Policies and Standards
China Energy Storage Network News: In 2022, China’s energy storage market entered the fast track of large-scale development. On one hand, large-scale independent energy storage power stations became the mainstay of the market throughout the year. The capacity of individual projects quickly exceeded 100 MWh and marched toward the GWh level. On the other hand, the number of planned and implemented energy storage projects saw exponential growth. As 2022 drew to a close and 2023 approached, the Energy Storage & Power Market journal specially launched the “2022 Energy Storage Review Series” to review the remarkable year of 2022 and look ahead to new highs expected in 2023.
With a large number of energy storage power stations being put into operation, ensuring their safe operation has become one of the core concerns of the whole industry and a key priority for energy regulators in policy formulation this year. As the opening article of the 2022 Energy Storage Review Series, this paper reviews national and local policies and standards for energy storage safety management issued in 2022.
Starting from late 2021, central and local governments rolled out multiple policies and work plans targeting safety management of energy storage power stations, covering rectification of safety hazards, safety administration of energy storage stations, grid-connected operation management and other areas. Meanwhile, national and industrial standards focusing on energy storage safety were gradually enriched throughout the year.
Rectification of Safety Hazards at Energy Storage Power Stations
In November 2021, the Office of the Work Safety Committee of the State Council issued the Special Rectification Work Plan for Safety Risks and Hidden Hazards of Electrochemical Energy Storage Power Stations. It required special rectification of electrochemical energy storage stations from multiple dimensions including battery cells, battery management systems, energy storage systems, station premises, security facilities, emergency response, construction and installation, as well as operation and maintenance.
Subsequently in December 2021, work safety committees of Anhui, Shanghai and other regions released corresponding implementation plans. Inspections and acceptance of local energy storage stations were completed between December 2021 and March 2022.
Safety Management of Energy Storage Power Stations
In January, April and May 2022, the National Energy Administration (NEA) successively issued the 14th Five-Year Plan Action Plan for Electric Power Work Safety, the Work Plan for Nationwide Electric Power Work Safety Inspection, and the Circular of the General Department of the National Energy Administration on Strengthening Safety Management of Electrochemical Energy Storage Power Stations, demonstrating the high priority placed on safety management of energy storage stations.
The 14th Five-Year Plan Action Plan for Electric Power Work Safety clarifies the need to strengthen safety management for power generation and grid connection of energy storage stations.
The Work Plan for Nationwide Electric Power Work Safety Inspection requires power enterprises to incorporate electrochemical energy storage stations into their work safety systems. It mandates enhanced safety management throughout planning and design, equipment selection, completion acceptance and grid connection, improvement of emergency fire-fighting capabilities, and prevention of station anomalies that threaten the safe operation of the power system.
The Circular of the General Department of the National Energy Administration on Strengthening Safety Management of Electrochemical Energy Storage Power Stations sets out 18 management provisions. It defines the project legal person (owner) as the primary responsible party for the safe operation of electrochemical energy storage stations. Design, equipment selection, construction acceptance, grid-connection acceptance and O&M of energy storage stations must comply with relevant regulatory specifications and national/industrial standards. It also calls for improved emergency fire response capabilities for electrochemical energy storage stations.
This series of NEA policies greatly promoted the development of China’s safety management system for energy storage stations and provided guidance for local governments to formulate their own safety management measures. Since 2022, multiple regions have issued policies focusing on safe operation, hazard rectification and fire protection of energy storage stations.
Beijing
In August and October 2022, Beijing successively released the Measures for the Construction and Management of Energy Storage Power Stations in Beijing (Trial) (Draft for Comment) and the Measures for Operation Supervision and Administration of New Energy Storage Power Stations in Beijing (Trial), imposing management requirements for energy storage stations above 100 kW /100 kWh.
The former covers planning, assessment, filing, approval, design, construction and acceptance of energy storage stations.
The latter stipulates that the principal person in charge of the construction entity shall be the primary person responsible for work safety of new energy storage stations. Large and medium-sized energy storage stations shall build operation status and early warning prediction platforms, while small stations shall realize operational status monitoring for real-time tracking of system operating conditions.
Following the fire accident at the Dahongmen energy storage station, Beijing regulators have extended safety supervision over energy storage stations to the full lifecycle, from preliminary planning and design to real-time operational monitoring.
Shandong
In September 2022, the Department of Housing and Urban-Rural Development of Shandong Province solicited public comments on the Technical Guidelines for Fire Protection Design Review and Acceptance of Construction Projects (Electrochemical Energy Storage Power Stations). The guideline focuses on fire protection requirements for energy storage station construction, specifying fire safety rules for battery clusters, battery prefabricated cabins, air conditioning, fire suppression systems and the whole station, covering design, equipment installation and construction. Some provisions may exert substantial impacts on energy storage station design and construction (see related article: With ≥0.9-meter spacing between battery clusters, Shandong’s new fire code may significantly affect energy storage station construction).
Jiangsu
In November 2022, Nantong City in Jiangsu issued the Notice on Further Strengthening Safety Management of Electrochemical Energy Storage Power Stations. The policy inherits the safety priorities laid out in the Special Rectification Work Plan for Safety Risks and Hidden Hazards of Electrochemical Energy Storage Power Stations, and requires strict implementation of responsibilities for design institutes, construction contractors, inspection bodies, O&M service providers and project owners.
Separately, in July 2022, the General Department of the NEA released the 25 Key Requirements for the Prevention of Power Production Accidents (2022 Version) (Draft for Comment). It explicitly states that medium and large electrochemical energy storage stations shall not adopt ternary lithium batteries or sodium-sulfur batteries, and shall preferably avoid retired traction batteries. If retired traction batteries are used, consistency screening and safety assessment based on traceability data must be performed. This policy carries major implications for energy storage technology selection.
Multiple Standards under Public Comment Targeting Energy Storage Safety
In 2022, several energy storage standards under consultation focused on safety, covering production, transportation and application of energy storage equipment. Examples are as follows:
In July 2022, the China Electricity Council (CEC) opened for comments on Lithium-ion Batteries for Electric Energy Storage, adding requirements for overload resistance and insulation in battery safety performance.
In November 2022, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) issued the Safety Requirements for Lithium Batteries and Battery Packs for Electric Energy Storage Systems (Draft for Comment), specifying safety requirements and test methods for lithium batteries and packs used in energy storage systems with a maximum nominal DC voltage not exceeding 1500 V.
In November 2022, CEC released the Code for Safety Evaluation of Electrochemical Energy Storage Power Stations, applicable to stations above 500 kW /500 kWh. It covers safety rules, equipment, station O&M, maintenance and evaluation, and applies to multiple technologies including lithium-ion batteries, lead-acid (carbon) batteries, flow batteries, sodium-ion batteries, and water electrolysis hydrogen production / fuel cells.
In November 2022, the Ministry of Emergency Management released the Criteria for Identifying Major Work Safety Hazards in the Industrial and Trading Sectors (Revised Draft for Comment). It classifies lithium battery warehouses lacking fire detection and alarm systems, automatic fire suppression systems, ventilation facilities or faulty battery isolation devices as safety hazards.
In November 2022, the China Water & Electric Materials Logistics Association issued the Special Requirements for Over-Dimensional Cargo Transportation of Electrochemical Energy Storage System Cabins (Draft for Comment). It sets detailed rules on carrier qualification, transport organization, delivery and acceptance, to ensure safe, efficient and compliant highway transportation of large cargo containing Class 9 dangerous goods (electrochemical energy storage cabins). Carriers shall establish standardized safety management systems and be equipped with proper safety protection, environmental protection, fire-fighting equipment and emergency rescue tools matching the characteristics of the transported energy storage cabins.
As more electrochemical energy storage stations are commissioned, safety risks cannot be overlooked. According to incomplete statistics, more than 30 safety accidents involving electrochemical energy storage stations have occurred worldwide in the past decade, most of which took place in the last five years (see related article: Another fire at a South Korean energy storage project, bringing cumulative fire incidents to 29). In China alone, multiple energy storage safety accidents happened in 2022, covering transportation, commissioning and other links.
It can be seen from national and local policies that energy storage safety covers the full value chain: equipment manufacturing, transportation, station planning, design, construction, grid connection, O&M and maintenance. Increasingly refined controls impose higher requirements on energy storage manufacturers in terms of technology, manufacturing processes and station operation. Meanwhile, such controls are critical to sustaining the long-term healthy development of the energy storage industry.