Assessment of fire, explosion and thermal runaway in battery storage facilities
This session will provide engineers with practical guidance and relevant risk management principles to battery energy storage systems (BESS)
Recent amendments to the Planning Regulation 2017 have changed how development applications for battery storage facilities* are assessed in Queensland, particularly regarding fire, explosion, and thermal runaway risks. This session will provide engineers with practical guidance on applying State Code 27 and relevant risk management principles to battery energy storage systems (BESS). Participants will explore how engineering standards, testing protocols, and fire safety studies inform risk assessment and the development of mitigation strategies.
The session will also highlight the limitations of global standards and how they can be adapted to the jurisdictional context. Case studies and examples will demonstrate how deterministic assessments can be validated using fire and explosion testing data. While focused on Queensland legislation, the technical principles discussed are applicable to battery storage facilities in other jurisdictions, supporting improved safety, compliance, and risk-informed engineering practice.
*also known as battery energy storage system (BESS) installations.
