LG Chem pointed out in its comments that the author of APS’s final report did not conduct site visits or forensic analysis of site artifacts, but summarized findings of APS’s retained consultants. “The independent experts retained by LG Chem believe that the evidence rules out DNV-GL’s theory regarding the cause of the initial thermal runaway event,” Kyunghyun Nahm, deputy general counsel for LG Chem, said in a letter to the commission.
APS declined to comment on methods or findings in LG Chem’s report. Davion M. Hill of DNV-GL, author of the APS report submitted July 27, would not comment for the company.
APS and LG Chem agree that the explosion occurred when firefighters opened a door, igniting flammable gases accumulated inside the battery energy storage system (BESS) container. Four firefighters were injured and two have not yet returned to work, said Rick Swan, director of health and safety operational services for the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF).
There is no method yet for stopping a thermal runaway event in a BESS installation, according to Swan. “Industry can sometimes get ahead of themselves,” he said.
Both APS and LG Chem agreed the Novec 1230 clean agent fire-suppression system installed in the McMicken facility was inadequate to halt the thermal runaway event.
Firefighters’ concerns about energy storage systems include being informed by system owners about materials inside containers, ongoing monitoring and having detailed emergency response plans, Swan said.
“Additional research on effective fire service tactics, remote gas monitoring, robust communication systems, and explosion prevention systems are needed,” Steve Kerber, vice president of research at UL Firefighter Safety Research Institute (FSRI), said in an email.
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