Safer batteries with JS-SEZ facility

UOB's business investment advisers ease energy group's entry into the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone, where it will produce safer, high-capacity batteries

- By KEVIN LIM

It took firefighters two days to completely extinguish the blaze at a data centre in Loyang in September 2024. The fire destroyed two battery rooms, two power supply rooms and an equipment storage area in the four-storey building. Twenty workers were evacuated safely.

The financial cost was not disclosed.

The fire was linked to lithium-ion batteries kept in the battery room, said the Singapore Civil Defence Force. Such batteries are commonly used in data centres as backup power during power outages.

Global real estate services company JLL noted in a 2024 analysis that fire safety measures in data centres were coming under increasing scrutiny.

Lithium batteries can cause fires in industrial facilities like data centres due to thermal runaway, said a February 2024 analysis by consultancy firm HKA. Thermal runway refers to a self-heating chain reaction triggered by overcharging, damage or heat.

This is why airlines allow laptops in cabins, but not in checked luggage, to ensure any fire risk is visible and manageable.

As industries seek cleaner, safer energy storage solutions, a century-old technology is gaining renewed attention: Nickel-zinc batteries.

These batteries are nonflammable and easier to recycle and dispose of than lithium ones, says Mr Daniel Chua (below), senior vice-president of GP Energy Tech International.