Multiple lithium-battery fires worldwide have sparked industry-wide discussions and reflections on battery safety and regulation.

Recently, a fire broke out at a lithium-battery recycling plant near Madrid, the capital of Spain. This incident is not an isolated case—back in April, an explosion also occurred at a battery-recycling facility in Girona province, Catalonia region, Spain. The plant had been storing large quantities of lithium batteries, lead-acid batteries, and electrolytes awaiting processing.

In recent years, multiple lithium-battery fires worldwide have sparked industry-wide discussions and reflections on battery safety and regulation. Industry insiders believe that the lithium-battery sector is currently transitioning from sheer scale expansion to high-quality development, requiring further strengthening of safety measures through technological innovation, enhanced policy frameworks, and closer collaboration across the supply chain. Looking ahead, nurturing superior production capacity and elevating product quality will become the key priorities for industry growth. Only companies that meet stringent standards and rigorous requirements will be able to thrive in the competitive market.

The urgency of safety management is becoming increasingly apparent.

As a core technology in modern energy storage, lithium-ion batteries have already permeated key sectors such as consumer electronics and transportation. However, while lithium-ion batteries are being widely adopted, they also come with safety challenges that cannot be overlooked.

In addition to the two aforementioned incidents involving recycling plant fires, lithium-battery-related fire incidents have also occurred frequently in various application scenarios, such as energy storage stations, electric bicycles, and new-energy vehicles. In June of this year, a 62MWh energy storage station at the Dongkuk Steel Pohang Plant in Daesong-myeon, Nam-gu, Pohang City, North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea, suddenly caught fire. The affected building was a two-story steel structure that housed 8,392 battery modules inside. Also in the same month, a low-speed electric vehicle caught fire in Unit 4, Building C6, Xinhé Village No. 4, Zengjiaping Community, Furong District, Changsha City. Notably, the electric two-wheeler was stationary at the time of the incident, and the fire originated from its onboard battery, with the cause traced back to a battery malfunction (thermal runaway). Furthermore, in January, a fire broke out at a power station in Moss Landing, California, USA, prompting the evacuation of thousands of people. This power station was storing tens of thousands of lithium batteries.

Electric vehicle recall incidents triggered by battery safety concerns have also become increasingly common. In May, the State Administration for Market Regulation issued an announcement stating that Beam Automotive Co., Ltd. had filed a recall plan with the National Market Supervision and Administration Bureau, in accordance with the requirements of the "Regulations on the Administration of Defective Automobile Product Recalls" and the "Implementation Measures for the Regulations on the Administration of Defective Automobile Product Recalls." The announcement revealed that vehicles within the recall scope may experience misalignment of positive and negative electrode sheets in certain battery cells due to issues arising during the动力电池 (power battery) manufacturing process, potentially leading to excessive self-discharge in those cells. In extreme cases, this could cause the power battery to overheat, posing significant safety risks.

Overall, battery safety issues affect various industries, highlighting the urgent need for robust safety management. Industry insiders believe that the continuous emergence of new application scenarios is placing higher demands on battery performance, prompting companies to drive innovative breakthroughs in areas such as safety, reliability, and temperature resistance.

Continuously refine standards and specifications

Behind the recent fire incidents lie significant fire safety risks associated with lithium batteries throughout their production, usage, and recycling processes. Analysts point out that, on one hand, the inherent chemical characteristics of lithium batteries make them highly susceptible to thermal runaway if overheated, damaged, or subjected to external impacts. On the other hand, technological limitations and intense market competition also contribute to safety concerns, as some companies adopt aggressive low-price strategies to grab market share, often at the expense of product quality assurance.

Taking the energy storage industry as an example, an industry insider told a reporter from China Energy News that system bidding prices have declined sharply over the past two years, even falling below the cost prices of some manufacturers. In this fiercely competitive environment, certain companies have resorted to cutting costs by compromising on product quality, ultimately leading to issues related to both product reliability and safety.

The battery recycling and reuse chain also faces significant chaos. Due to the large number of players involved and poorly managed processes, some retired batteries end up in small workshops lacking proper qualifications, squeezing out market share from legitimate enterprises and hindering the industry's healthy growth. Meanwhile, retired power batteries contain various metals and chemicals—such as lithium, cobalt, and nickel—whose improper handling can easily lead to safety hazards.

In response to the issues mentioned above, multiple policies have been introduced at both national and local levels to continuously strengthen industry oversight, refine technical standards, and regulate recycling practices—ensuring that industry development is guided by robust standards for high-quality growth. In May of this year, the National Energy Administration, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), the Ministry of Emergency Management, the State Administration for Market Regulation, and the National Fire Rescue Bureau jointly issued the "Notice on Strengthening Safety Management of Electrochemical Energy Storage," which clearly emphasizes enhancing the inherent safety of battery systems. Meanwhile, the MIIT is accelerating research into battery cell safety, driving advancements in electrochemical energy storage technologies, and standardizing the design and manufacturing processes of battery systems. Meanwhile, the market regulatory authorities are tightening controls over battery production and sales, safeguarding market order, reinforcing credit-based supervision, and promoting the establishment of a comprehensive credit system for market entities.

In March of this year, the mandatory national standard "Safety Requirements for Power Storage Batteries Used in Electric Vehicles" (GB 38031—2025) was released and will come into effect on July 1, 2026. The new regulation upgrades the previous requirement that power batteries "not catch fire or explode" to a mandatory standard, earning it the title of the strictest battery safety rule ever enacted.

Strengthen product innovation and testing

Overall, how to further ensure battery safety has become a shared issue across multiple industries. As safety takes center stage in the development of the battery sector, relevant companies are actively stepping up their efforts—strengthening safety controls through technological R&D and production management—and continuously enhancing both the safety performance and quality standards of their products.

Notably, higher-stability battery products such as solid-state batteries and sodium-ion batteries are now becoming one of the key focus areas for major companies, with the potential to replace or complement lithium-ion batteries in certain applications. "However," the industry expert pointed out, "although some emerging battery technologies can address specific shortcomings of current battery systems, they are still in their early stages, lacking comprehensive quality standards and robust safety assessment frameworks. Moreover, challenges related to technology and manufacturing processes continue to hinder their widespread adoption, meaning it will take time before these innovations can be scaled up for large-scale use."

In addition to strengthening battery technology research and development, rigorous testing is also emerging as a crucial method for companies to verify the safety performance of their products. Recently, Haichen Energy Storage unveiled the complete results of its global first open-door combustion test on the ∞Block 5MWh energy storage system. The test was conducted under four extreme conditions: "open-door combustion, with a dual 15-cm minimum spacing, active fire suppression shutdown, and 100% SOC fully charged state." Meanwhile, Ruipu Lanjun announced that its Powtrix™ energy storage battery module—equipped with a full complement of adjacent-cell batteries at 5MWh capacity and fully charged—has successfully passed the stringent CSA/ANSI C800 extreme safety tests.

The interviewees believe that the continuous tightening of battery safety requirements will drive the industry to shift toward quality-first development, accelerating the elimination of low-end production capacity.

Lin Boqiang, Dean of the China Institute for Energy Policy at Xiamen University, told a reporter from China Energy News that while improving lithium-battery safety standards is crucial, establishing a comprehensive safety management system is equally important. "For instance," he explained, "it’s essential to equip large-scale energy storage stations with adequate rescue and response capabilities, ensuring timely intervention in case of safety incidents. This includes stocking up on necessary rescue equipment and supplies, as well as developing detailed emergency response plans."