Samsung SDI participated in ‘Interbattery Europe 2024’ held in Munich, Germany from the 19th of this month for three days, unveiling the SBB (Samsung Battery Box) 1.5, which boasts enhanced capacity and safety, marking its entry into the global ESS market.
‘Interbattery Europe’ is one of the exhibitions held within ‘The Smarter E Europe’, the largest energy industry exhibition in Europe. This year, a record 2,800 companies participated, making it the largest ever.
With the theme of ‘A Sustainable Future Realized Through PRiMX (Prime Battery for Maximum Experience),’ Samsung SDI introduced the upgraded SBB 1.5 this year, following last year’s reveal of the SBB in Munich.
The SBB is a product that installs high-nickel NCA battery cells, modules, and racks in a 20-foot container box, ready for use upon connection to a power grid. It won the ‘Best Innovation in ESS’ award at the ‘Interbattery Awards 2024’ in March this year.
The SBB 1.5 achieves a total capacity of 5.26MWh by optimizing internal space efficiency to load more batteries, which increases the energy density per container by approximately 37% compared to the previous product. Additionally, it can be installed with four containers touching each other, reducing the installation space.
In terms of safety, the SBB 1.5 has significantly improved fire prevention and spread prevention functions using the EDI (Enhanced Direct Injection, module-integrated direct injection) technology, which blocks heat propagation of the previously applied direct injection system. EDI technology sprays fire extinguishing agents across the entire module unit containing the affected cell if a fire occurs inside the SBB, preventing its spread.
Along with the SBB 1.5, Samsung SDI also unveiled its future cell lineup strategy optimized for the ESS market. Starting in 2026, LFP batteries will be added to the battery lineup for power ESS products, planning to target the ESS market with a ‘two-track’ strategy alongside the high energy density NCA batteries. Furthermore, the company aims to actively respond to new demands such as the increasing data centers due to the acceleration of the AI era by supplying high-power cells for UPS (uninterruptible power supply).
Choi Yoon-ho, CEO of Samsung SDI, stated, “We plan to lead the global ESS market by actively developing new markets in line with the acceleration of the AI era through the launch of various product lineups, including the new SBB product realized through our exceptional technical competitiveness.”
Lee Sang-jin daedusj@autodiary.kr