Honeywell acquires Li-ion Tamer to boost battery fire safety
Honeywell has acquired the Li-ion Tamer business, an off-gas detection system for lithium-ion batteries, from Nexceris to address thermal runaway and fire risk concerns in energy storage, data centres, and other sectors.
The acquisition builds on a five-year partnership between Honeywell and Nexceris. Li-ion Tamer technology is recognised for providing early warning of thermal runaway events in lithium-ion batteries, a growing need as global demand for these batteries is forecast to increase by more than 30 per cent annually, reaching a projected total market value of over USD $400 billion (AUD $608 billion) by 2030.
Li-ion Tamer enhances Honeywell's existing fire life safety portfolio within its Building Automation business. The acquisition is expected to be immediately accretive to Honeywell's financial results.
Growth in battery demand
The growth in lithium-ion battery use is being driven by sectors such as renewable energy, cloud computing, and electric vehicles. These industries are increasingly reliant on safe battery monitoring to avoid or minimise losses caused by battery fires.
Battery fires present a significant risk because, once ignited, there is potential for an entire system loss. Early detection systems like Li-ion Tamer enable crucial intervention steps to prevent thermal runaway before a fire is triggered.
The off-gas detection system developed by Li-ion Tamer identifies precursor gases released before a thermal runaway event. This early warning capability can provide up to a 30-minute advance notice, allowing facilities greater time to respond to battery failures. The technology is trusted by battery manufacturers worldwide and is protected by more than 30 global patents.
Statements from Honeywell leadership
"As lithium-ion battery use grows rapidly across data centres, EV infrastructure, and grid-scale energy storage, the risk of fire is increasing in parallel," said Billal Hammoud, President and CEO of Honeywell's Building Automation segment. "Li-ion Tamer's early warning technology has been revolutionary for our customers and partners over the last five years. Building on our legacy partnership, the acquisition of this product suite will position Honeywell as a leader in early gas detection and battery fire prevention. We expect this tuck-in acquisition to further bolster growth of our fire detection business."
Integration with existing products
Honeywell will integrate the Li-ion Tamer portfolio into its Building Automation business. This integration seeks to offer customers a more comprehensive suite of fire detection products by adding early gas detection to the company's advanced smoke detection technology and life safety solutions. Honeywell's current offerings include VESDA, an early warning smoke detection system, and Connected Life Safety Services, which operates on the Honeywell Forge IoT platform to deliver connectivity and real-time data intelligence for fire system management.
Strategic business changes
The acquisition follows a series of strategic moves by Honeywell since late 2023 aimed at driving organic growth and simplifying its business portfolio. Honeywell announced planned spin-offs of its Aerospace Technologies and Solstice Advanced Materials businesses, leading to the formation of three publicly listed entities. The company has recently completed several other acquisitions, including Access Solutions from Carrier Global, Civitanavi Systems, CAES Systems, the LNG business from Air Products, Sundyne, and Johnson Matthey's Catalyst Technologies Business. Additionally, Honeywell finalised the sale of its Personal Protective Equipment business to Protective Industrial Products.
