Samsung SDI said Tuesday that its battery system for uninterruptible power supplies has passed a fire safety test conducted by global safety certification organization UL Solutions, a milestone expected to boost its competitiveness in the expanding artificial intelligence data center market.
UPS systems provide immediate backup power when electricity supplies are interrupted or voltage becomes unstable. They are key infrastructure for maintaining the stable operation of AI data centers and other facilities that require uninterrupted power.
The South Korean battery maker said its UPS battery system met all evaluation criteria in UL Solutions’ Indoor Large-Scale Fire Test, or Indoor LSFT. The test assesses whether fire spreads to adjacent battery racks or other parts of a system after a battery module inside a UPS rack is deliberately ignited and forced into a thermal runway.
During the test, the battery module was burned, but the flames did not spread to nearby racks. The company added that no gas was released and that no explosions or ruptures occurred.
The fire also extinguished itself without the activation of overhead sprinklers, demonstrating the system’s ability to prevent thermal propagation, according to the company.
Samsung SDI said it was the first battery manufacturer globally to officially pass the test since UL Solutions introduced the assessment this year.
Samsung SDI attributed the test result to its proprietary thermal propagation prevention design and prismatic battery technologies. The batteries use lithium manganese oxide materials and aluminum casings intended to improve structural stability and contain potential fires.
The certification is expected to strengthen the company’s position in the global UPS battery market, as major tech firms and AI data center operators increasingly require suppliers to prove fire safety credentials before awarding contracts.
“Samsung SDI has successfully met the Indoor LSFT requirements, validating its differentiated fire safety technologies,” a Samsung SDI official said. “We will continue to provide the most trusted energy solutions across a wide range of applications, including the AI data center ESS market.”
sahn@heraldcorp.com