Hanwha Aerospace, SK Enmove develop fireproof ESS

South Korean companies have joined forces to develop the world’s first fireproof energy storage system (ESS) powered by liquid immersion cooling technology.

Hanwha Aerospace Co., South Korea’s major aerospace and defense company, said on Tuesday that it has teamed up with SK Enmove Co., a major Korean lube oil maker under SK Innovation Co., to commercialize technology that can prevent a fire in an ESS with cooling fluid.

Their heat management system completely prevents the risk of fire by filling a lithium-ion battery module with cooling fluid, which is dielectric, or non-conductive. This fluid effectively absorbs and dissipates heat generated by the components inside a module, providing a highly effective cooling solution.

The technology, known as liquid immersion cooling, is considered a cutting-edge heat management technology. It is said to be more efficient in heat management than air cooling.

The technology is also excellent in blocking the intrusion of dust or salinity, other causes of fire in battery modules, said Hanwha Aerospace.

GAME CHANGER IN THE VESSEL ESS MARKET

Their joint development with improved safety is certified by Norway-based internationally accredited registrar and classification society Det Norske Veritas, formerly DNV GL, and the Korean Register (KR), a Korean not-for-profit classification society offering verification and certification services for ships and marine structures.

It is already installed in an electric motor-powered vessel of the Korea Research Institute of Ships & Ocean Engineering (KRISO) for testing.

Demand for the fireproof ESS is expected to rise in line with growing demand for eco-friendly vessels.

According to Markets and Markets, the global vessel ESS market is forecast to grow to $7.6 billion in 2030 from $2.1 billion in 2021 at a compound annual growth rate of 15.5%.

“Safety is a must for marine ESSs,” said Son Seung-hyun, head of ESS Department at Hanwha Aerospace. “We have installed our first development in a vessel and are developing three more.”

Hanwha Aerospace expects the latest invention will create great synergy with its sibling Hanwha Ocean Co.'s offshore business and plans to expedite the creation of its eco-friendly vessel value chain.

Its venture into the vessel ESS market will also gain speed through the collaboration with SK Enmove. Hanwha Aerospace has designed a liquid immersion fluid ESS, while SK Enmove develops cooling fluids made of a mix of different oils.

SK Enmove has also enhanced its collaboration with foreign tech companies to develop the related system and to supply its liquid immersion cooling systems for data centers.

Write to Hyeon-woo Oh at ohw@hankyung.com

Sookyung Seo edited this article.