According to foreign media reports, independent power producer Engie plans to postpone the start date of its 99MW/396MWh Ripon Reliability battery storage project in San Joaquin County, California. This decision was approved and an extension permit was issued at the Ripon City Planning Committee meeting on August 19, 2024, marking the second extension of the project since last year.The Ripon Reliability battery energy storage project was initially granted a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) by BayWa r.e. and is scheduled to commence construction within two years. However, due to various reasons, including supply chain disruptions and grid connection delays, the project was unable to commence as scheduled; In 2022, Broad Reach Power acquired the project from BayWa r.e., but also faced the dilemma of being unable to start on time; Broad Reach Power was subsequently acquired by Engie in the third quarter of 2023.

After several high-profile public utility scale battery energy storage system fires in the United States, the Ripon City Planning Commission expressed concerns about the safety of lithium-ion batteries. The commission requested Engie to take additional firefighting measures, mitigate hazards, and develop emergency plans during the extension period to ensure the safety of the project. As stated in the document prepared for the recent Ripon Planning Committee, after some recent incidents of battery energy storage system fires, although there are some examples to draw on, the Ripon City Planning Committee referred to the Elkhorn battery energy storage system operated by Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) in Monterey County, California as a safety case in September 2022.

According to industry media reports, the fire was caused by a thermal runaway of a battery pack, which burned for 6 hours, leading the local government to require residents to evacuate on-site for 12 hours. After the fire, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) commissioned the Energy Security Response Group (ESRG) to conduct an investigation and summarized all available information related to the fire incident in the report.
After conducting multiple studies, the Ripon City Planning Commission approved Engie's extension of its Conditional Use Permit (CUP), provided that the company agrees to implement 15 fire safety measures during the project development process.

In terms of safety training measures, Engie has agreed to pay the local fire department for training its staff to handle lithium-ion battery fires, and has stated that if a fire occurs, the company will dispatch well-trained staff to assist firefighters in maintaining public safety within 30 minutes of the accident, and dispatch public relations personnel to assist in external liaison work; It will also have the ability to isolate the battery energy storage system from the power grid in emergency situations and achieve on-site power outages without affecting emergency lighting and monitoring systems.

Despite the project facing delays, the Ripon City Planning Commission emphasized its commitment to community safety and expressed satisfaction with the additional safety measures taken by Engie Company. The committee also stated that it will closely monitor the deployment standards of battery energy storage systems and adjust policies as necessary to protect public safety.

Firefighting is only a means of disaster reduction, and passive safety is not as effective as proactive measures. Energy storage is more important in preventing risks and hidden dangers from the source. When considering flow batteries as energy storage technology, this is particularly important. Flow batteries provide different safety advantages from lithium-ion batteries due to their inherent safety, long cycle life, and environmental friendliness. Their working principle is based on the redox reaction of flow batteries, which naturally reduces the risk of thermal runaway. With technological progress and large-scale applications, there is great room for cost reduction of flow batteries and broad market prospects.

美国加州市区储能起火引居民恐慌