EVLO Energy Storage, a subsidiary of Hydro-Québec, and a provider of integrated battery energy storage systems, has announced a major step in its relationship with utility Dominion Energy. It will develop a battery energy storage system with fire and safety features enhanced to meet and exceed Dominion’s exacting safety specifications. The augmented version of its ‘EVLOFLEX’ product has now achieved UL 9540 certification.
The Evloflex energy storage system recognises BESS safety, reliability and performance across several phases including design, production, testing, installation, and operation. It requires robust functional safety governance, fire prevention and response preparedness, explosion containment provisions, hazard detection sensitivity, and resistance to cascading failures. The testing was conducted by independent North American certification agencies.
Through targeted adjustments to strengthen the system’s safety features, which include the integration of an external fire panel control, for example, will facilitate regulatory approval process by authorities having jurisdictions, AHJs. This will benefit both Dominion and future clients seeking for their projects to meet stringent certification standards like NFPA 72.
The system incorporates fire protection solutions at all levels, employing active and passive thermal runaway mitigation measures, including a unique approach going beyond the NFPA 69 design standards that ensures passive gas evacuation even during power outages. Evloflex first achieved UL 9540 certification in March 2024 and has been recertified to validate the safety feature upgrades requested by Dominion.
The enhanced BESS will be deployed across three large-scale projects in Virginia, that total over 300 MWh in capacity and scheduled to begin commissioning in 2025 and 2026.
The projects align with Dominion’s Grid Transformation Plan to modernise its infrastructure. They will also support the Virginia Clean Economy Act (VCEA), a landmark legislation driving the state towards 100% clean energy by 2050.
