The southeast United States manufacturing landscape has been transforming slightly for the past decade as more manufacturers choose this location for their EV battery market products. South Carolina and the greater southeast are a favorable location for these businesses due to tax incentives, labor force, and infrastructure for distribution. The southeast also holds deposits of lithium ore that is currently being extracted for Lithium battery production. The nickname “Lithium Belt” was given to the area for the pegmatite belt in the Kings Mountain NC area that contains the lithium we need to produce Lithium Polymer and Lithium-Ion batteries. The nickname is also fitting as we see more and more Lithium battery companies open or expand operations in the southeast.
Lithium Polymer and Lithium Ion are the 2 main designs being used in the construction of the cells comprising the battery used for most electric vehicles today. There are a few key differences between these 2 types of batteries, cost and lifespan being the biggest. Polymer batteries are more expensive to manufacture but have the benefits of being lighter, safer, and low self-discharge levels. Polymer batteries also have a lower charge capacity than their Ion counterpart. Lithium-ion batteries are more popular for EV use based on their higher capacity and lower cost to manufacture. There is also a higher risk factor with Lithium-Ion batteries. These cells are more prone to overheating than the Polytype.
A damaged or overheated Lithium cell has many dangers that can result in fires and other hazardous situations. Lithium fires hold 2 major problems. It is a metal fire and cannot be extinguished with water or smothered. Most often, Lithium fires must expend all their energy and die out from lack of fuel. Lithium-based batteries are also electrical fires that also need to expend their energy before dying out. There are only a handful of solutions for extinguishing or controlling a Lithium battery fire. More offerings will become available as the EV market grows. But for now, there is a lot of concern in the industry that uses and builds these batteries over how to fight Lithium fires and Lithium battery handling safety.
Lithium battery safety is a primary part of Life & Safety’s line-up of tools and services. We have a large team of industry experts at OSHA, NFPA, ANSI, and DOT regulations and standards. There are multiple angles of concern for battery manufacturers and distributors and the different agencies that can hold you responsible for a failure to provide a safe environment. Our team has extensive experience working with multiple Lithium battery companies in South Carolina the southeast area. Our work includes Electrical Safety Program review to include HV DC hazards and mitigation. We can also provide an Arc Flash hazard analysis of battery ESS (Electrical Storage Systems) and the equipment used to charge and test Lithium battery modules (cassettes). We offer training around arc flash, battery handling, runaway lithium battery procedures, and other custom training modules. We have skilled instructors that can come on-site and deliver professional advice and training. We also offer all our training online through our LMS. All L&S training modules can be customized for your process and include any steps of the process you desire. The regulations from NFPA and OSHA are difficult to navigate as our customers soon discover that there are more than 20 different standards and regulations that address Lithium batteries. We work together with these agencies to ensure that we are providing the most thorough and up-to-date compliance measures for our customers. Our team is comprised of former OSHA inspectors, Electrical Engineers, NFPA compliance officers, and ISO champions. We pride ourselves on our relationships with our clients and will make every effort to keep you safe and compliant.
