HiTHIUM Completes Open Door Fire Test Of Its Block 5MWh BESS

HiTHIUM, a global energy storage technology company, has completed one of the world’s first all-open-door large-scale fire tests of its ∞Block 5MWh battery energy storage system (BESS). This technology sets a new benchmark for safety validation methods, marking a milestone in the global energy storage industry. The open-door fire test was developed to meet this requirement—featuring four ultimate test challenges.

As thermal runaway and other safety incidents in BESS draw increasing concern, more rigorous and standardized safety testing is urgently needed. 

Challenges

• All open-door combustion: The container doors remained fully open throughout the test, creating an unrestrained combustion environment with intensified oxygen flow—far more severe than traditional closed-door scenarios
• Dual 15cm extreme spacing: The BESS were placed side by side and back to back with just 15cm spacing. Despite flames over 1300°C, no thermal propagation occurred, proving effective close-range isolation.
• Fire suppression system deactivated: All fire suppression systems were deactivated. The system relied solely on passive fire protection to withstand prolonged intense fire, demonstrating autonomous fire resistance and reliability.
• 100% State of Charge (SOC): The BESS was tested at full capacity to maximize thermal energy release, validating the system’s reliability and stability under the harshest conditions.

Fire Protection

Conducted by UL Solutions, a safety certification authority, and witnessed by certified US fire protection engineers and customers, the test adhered to UL 9540A and NFPA 855 safety standards. Despite undergoing 15 hours of full combustion, the system structure remained intact, with no fire propagation to any of the three adjacent containers.

This result validates HiTHIUM’s multi-layered passive safety architecture and thermal isolation capabilities, even under the most extreme conditions. Thus, HiTHIUM provides insights into future safety standards in the industry. Moving forward, it plans to continue to advance safety performance through technology leadership and global collaboration.