Huawei Norway Energy Storage Project

Huawei Digital Power's Smart String & Grid Forming Energy Storage System (ESS) has successfully passed an extreme ignition test in the presence of customers and Norway-headquartered independent assurance and risk management provider DNV.

In real-world safety incidents, it is often a single cell that leads to the release of combustible gases in the container, potentially resulting in fire or explosion. However, in Huawei's Smart String & Grid Forming ESS (container A), thermal runaway was initiated in 12 cells without an incident.

The manufacturer also reported a slow fault progression as one of the product's key safety features. The test showed that Huawei's ESS (container A) delayed fire ignition for seven hours in extreme scenarios, even as the number of thermal runaway cells increased.

However, in Huawei's Smart String & Grid Forming ESS (container A), thermal runaway was initiated in 12 cells without an incident. The system's combined defense mechanism—positive pressure oxygen barrier and directional smoke exhaust duct—effectively vented combustible gases, the manufacturer reported.

Post-test disassembly confirmed the integrity of the ESS body, fire-resistant layer, and internal battery packs, Huawei said. The manufacturer also reported a slow fault progression as one of the product's key safety features.

In its ignition test, Huawei used four utility-scale BESS units. This was previously done by Sungrow, which in November 2024 conducted a fire test on 20 MWh of BESS. The exercise involved four liquid-cooled 5 MWh Powertitan 2.0 storage systems and came with a price tag of $4.2 million.