Strengthening Safety Management in Electrochemical Energy Storage Systems: A Directive from Five National Departments

On May 7, the General Office of the National Energy Administration, along with four other government departments, issued a notification aimed at strengthening the safety management of electrochemical energy storage systems. The document emphasizes the need to enhance the inherent safety levels of battery systems, evaluate the safety conditions and facilities of energy storage projects, improve relevant standards and regulations, ensure the implementation of safety supervision responsibilities, promote inter-departmental collaboration and information sharing, and enforce the primary responsibility for safety in production within enterprises.

The notification outlines the following key points:

1. Enhance the inherent safety of battery systems. The industrial and information technology sectors are tasked with accelerating research on battery safety, advancing electrochemical energy storage technology, and standardizing the design and manufacturing of battery systems. The market supervision authorities will regulate the production and sale of battery products to maintain market order and strengthen credit supervision, thus fostering the development of a credit system among market participants.
2. Evaluate safety conditions and facilities for electrochemical energy storage projects. Project units must strengthen safety management by conducting a comprehensive analysis of safety conditions and facilities during the feasibility study phase, resulting in a written report for record-keeping. Upon completion of construction or trial operations, projects should have their safety facilities inspected and any identified issues promptly addressed. After a designated operational period, a safety review should be conducted to ensure the reliability and safety of the project throughout its lifecycle.
3. Improve standards and regulations related to electrochemical energy storage. Relevant departments, including market supervision and energy authorities, should expedite the development and revision of standards regarding the design, construction, acceptance testing, grid connection, and operation of energy storage stations. Energy authorities are to collaborate with related departments to establish standardized safety production norms and ensure alignment with mandatory national standards for storage battery products. Additionally, fire rescue departments will formulate standards for fire management and fire monitoring.
4. Implement safety supervision responsibilities for electrochemical energy storage projects. Following the principles of “three managements and three musts,” it is essential to strengthen safety supervision. All electrochemical energy storage projects must be filed in accordance with the law. The filing agency must specify the principal safety responsibilities of the project unit in the filing documentation, ensuring that safety supervision responsibilities are clearly defined. Existing projects should promptly supplement their documentation to clarify safety supervision responsibilities.
5. Enhance inter-departmental collaboration and information sharing. Energy authorities should improve communication and coordination with emergency management, industrial and information technology, market supervision, and fire rescue departments to establish a working mechanism. Departments should work together on joint research, training, inspections, and law enforcement to monitor the construction and operation of electrochemical storage projects and share critical data and information, facilitating timely reporting of significant issues. A mechanism for reporting and jointly addressing fire-related incidents in energy storage facilities should also be established.
6. Enforce the primary responsibility for safety production among enterprises. Project units in electrochemical energy storage must assume their primary responsibility for safety, managing safety throughout the project’s planning, design, construction, operation, and decommissioning phases. Safety facilities should be designed and constructed simultaneously with the main project and put into operation together. Enterprises are expected to enhance the identification and management of safety hazards, strengthen risk control measures, develop safety regulations, and bolster emergency preparedness to ensure safe operations and prevent accidents.

Relevant departments at all levels are urged to adopt a mindset focused on safe development, integrating safety measures into every aspect of electrochemical energy storage development to promote high-quality progress in the sector. Provincial energy authorities are encouraged to coordinate efforts and expedite the establishment of safety supervision systems for electrochemical energy storage in their regions. All departments should swiftly organize detailed implementation measures as outlined in this notification and diligently advance their respective efforts to achieve tangible results.