Samsung SDI's UPS battery passes fire safety test by global certification body

Samsung SDI's battery for uninterruptible power supply (UPS) systems has passed a fire containment test by a global certification body, demonstrating the level of safety that international customers demand. UPS batteries serve as critical infrastructure in AI data centers and other facilities, providing emergency power when needed.

Samsung SDI said Tuesday it had met all evaluation criteria in the Indoor Large-Scale Fire Test (Indoor LSFT) administered by global safety certification body UL Solutions. The Indoor LSFT is a safety test that forcibly burns out a module inside a UPS battery rack and then verifies whether fire spreads to adjacent racks or systems.

UL Solutions introduced the Indoor LSFT earlier this year to assess and verify risks such as explosions and heat propagation in the event of an actual UPS fire. Samsung SDI is the first company in the world to officially meet the standard.

UPS systems are critical infrastructure that instantly supply emergency power stored in batteries when outages or voltage instability occur, ensuring the stable operation of AI data centers and similar facilities.

In the test, the ignited UPS battery module burned out completely, but no fire spread, gas release, explosion or rupture occurred in surrounding racks, satisfying all performance and safety criteria. Notably, the fire extinguished on its own without activating overhead sprinklers, further demonstrating the technology's capability.

Global big tech companies and AI data center operators have increasingly made fire safety verification a mandatory condition when selecting battery suppliers. Samsung SDI said it expects to leverage the test results to highlight its differentiated safety credentials to customers worldwide.

Samsung SDI applied its proprietary thermal-propagation prevention technology, developed through an independent system architecture design, in the test. The company also used lithium manganese oxide (LMO), a material known for high output and stable characteristics, along with an aluminum casing resistant to heat and impact and a gas-release vent — all hallmarks of Samsung SDI's prismatic battery technology.

Samsung SDI plans to accelerate its push into the AI data center and grid-scale ESS markets, drawing on the differentiated safety technology behind its UPS batteries and other ESS products, including the Samsung Battery Box (SBB).

"This test result validates our differentiated safety technology," a Samsung SDI official said. "We will provide the most trusted solutions to customers across various markets, including ESS for AI data centers."

Meanwhile, Samsung SDI secured the largest share of supply in the next-generation AI distribution grid ESS project announced by the Ministry of Climate, Environment and Energy on Friday, reinforcing its presence in the market. Six of the nine winning consortiums selected Samsung SDI battery cells, an outcome analysts say confirms the company's competitive edge in winning orders for large-scale grid ESS.