Page 26 - Process Safety and the Energy Transition: Battery Technology

What: Explosion and Fire

Facility: Orsted BESS; 20 MWh; Lithium-ion batteries
Where: Liverpool, UK
When: September 2020
Impact: Property damage.
Note: An automatic fire suppression system was fitted but failed to actuate. Refer
to Figure 14. (MFRS, 2020)

Figure 14 – Orsted BESS Fire damage (MFRS, 2020)

2. What barriers are in place to manage those risks?

The Lithium-ion BESS is a relatively new technology. As more BESSs have been installed, fires and
explosions have occurred, preventative and mitigative barriers have been identified, included in
codes and guidance documents, and implemented in new BESS’s. The result has been the “failure
rate dropped by 98% from 2018 to 2024. (EPRI, 2025)

The first step in managing risks is understanding the process and identifying the hazards. CCPS
Risk Based Process Safety elements can provide guidance. (CCPS, 2007) Process knowledge
management translates to understanding the manufacturer's basis of design for a BESS
installation. A deep understanding of the design supports a meaningful hazard analysis and
identification of appropriate barriers. Hazard identification and risk analysis tools can be used to
identify how the BESS could impact and be impacted by contiguous equipment. Management of

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Process Safety and the Energy Transition: Battery Technology
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