Energy storage |
Wärtsilä claims new battery safety benchmark with Quantum3
Wärtsilä has successfully completed three major fire safety and explosion tests on its Quantum3 battery energy storage system. The testing programme included UL 9540A unit-level testing, large scale fire testing, and testing of Wärtsilä’s proprietary Active Ignition Mitigation System (AIMS). The three tests were designed to simulate worst-case fire and/or explosion scenarios, providing valuable data to manufacturers, first responders, customers and regulators, says Wärtsilä. Together, they confirm Quantum3’s ability to contain thermal runaway events, prevent fire propagation, and mitigate risks associated with flammable gas build-up — ensuring safety for surrounding communities. CSA Group, a specialist in standards development and in product testing, inspection, and certification, participated in the planning and witnessed the execution of all three tests for third-party verification. The tests were
carried out at the CSA Suzhou facility (pictured below), Anhui Province, China.
The test results can be summarised as follows: UL 9540A testing: Wärtsilä’s Quantum3 met all necessary performance requirements, demonstrating that if a battery cell were to enter thermal runaway, the event would not spread to adjacent modules nor enclosures. No external flaming occurred, and no explosion hazards were exhibited. Large scale fire testing: Under controlled conditions and in compliance with CSA/ANSI C800:25, a fire was ignited inside a Quantum3 unit and allowed to burn for over 22 hours. The results demonstrated that the fire was effectively contained within the initiating unit and did not propagate to adjacent units, even in the absence of intervention or water-based suppression measures.
Active Ignition Mitigation System testing: Wärtsilä validated its proprietary AIMS technology, which proactively ignites flammable gases at the earliest stages of a thermal event. This pioneering approach prevents uncontrolled deflagrations and maintains full enclosure integrity during extreme simulated conditions.
Quantum3 is described as the most advanced addition to Wärtsilä’s Quantum battery energy storage product portfolio, offering fully integrated AC blocks with “industry-leading safety, cybersecurity, energy density, and sustainability features.”
Wärtsilä says Quantum3’s enhanced fire safety features exceed the requirements of current global regulations, including advanced fire suppression and next-generation thermal management.
Grid forming in the Nordics
Merus Power has brought online what it says is the first grid-forming battery energy storage system in the Nordic countries, for its Swiss customer, energy company Alpiq. The 30 MW / 36 MWh system located in Valkeakoski, Finland, meets the requirements specified by Finnish TSO Fingrid for large-scale
grid-forming energy storage installations. The functionality of the technology has been verified and approved by Fingrid through simulations and field tests.
Unlike traditional grid-following power electronics, the grid-forming battery energy storage system delivered by Merus Power can
44 | November/December 2025|
www.modernpowersystems.com
independently maintain voltage and frequency, improve grid stiffness, and support the power system during disturbances. This capability enables, for example, the creation of a grid after a blackout and makes energy storage an active enabler of grid stability.
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