2026 OCP Global Summit

Keeping Data Centers Safe and Compliant: A Global Framework for Energy Storage Systems

The regulations haven’t caught up to the lithium batteries powering AI data centers. This panel helps close the gap.

TLDR

• Energy storage (BBUs, UPS, BESS) is scaling fast in AI data centers — but global regulations governing storage, transport, and installation are fragmented and haven’t caught up.
• This panel unpacks the new OCP white paper on ESS requirements, live, with the hazmat expert, OEM lead, and hyperscale operator who wrote it.
• You’ll leave with a clear picture of where your organization is exposed and what to fix first.
• Oct 15, 8:40 AM-9:05 AM | San Jose, CA | Panel discussion

Session Details

Date and time: October 15 | 8:40 AM – 9:05 AM

Panel Discussion: The Compliance Gap: ESS Safety in the Age of AI Infrastructure

Track: OCP Ready™ Facilities / Power & Energy

Abstract:
AI is driving power densities nobody planned for five years ago — and energy storage is racing to keep up. More BBUs per rack. More BESS per campus. More chemistries on the market. But the rules governing how these systems are stored, shipped, installed, and decommissioned vary wildly by country, code, and insurer — and most data center teams don’t know what they don’t know.

This session unpacks the newly published OCP white paper, Requirements for Energy Storage Systems Used in Data Centers (Rev. 1.0), through the eyes of the people who wrote it: a hazmat compliance authority which was Mike Pagel with HazMat Safety Consulting (an Americase International company), a hardware OEM standards lead, and a hyperscale operator who has to make it all work across 25+ countries.

Why This Is Important:

Lithium-ion BBUs are classified as UN3480 Class 9 Dangerous Goods — and thermal runaway events have already caused significant property damage and serious injuries at facilities, including incidents in Surprise, Arizona (2019) and Seoul (2025). The suppression systems most data centers default to weren’t built for this hazard: water-based systems aren’t proven effective on lithium-ion fires and can cause major water damage of their own, while gas-based systems have, in combination with battery off-gassing, contributed to explosions.

At the same time, the rules meant to prevent these outcomes vary by country, by code, and even by insurer — and they’re still catching up to new chemistries like nickel-zinc that don’t carry the same hazard profile as lithium-ion. For hyperscale operators, colocation providers, OEMs, and supply chain partners, that gap translates directly into safety incidents, permitting delays, insurance complications, and liability. This session exists to close that gap with practical, field-tested guidance — not theory.

What You’ll Learn:

• Why lithium-ion BBUs/UPS are classified as UN3480 Class 9 Dangerous Goods — and what that actually requires of your teams
• How NFPA 855 (2026), NFPA 800, FM Global 5-33, and the EU Battery Regulation overlap, conflict, and diverge by jurisdiction
• What the OCP Ready™ Requirements Matrix gives OEMs that vague code references never could
• Why nickel-zinc and other emerging chemistries are being regulated like lithium-ion — even though they don’t behave like it
• The three things to do Monday morning to close your organization’s biggest exposure

Who Should Attend:

Hyperscale and colocation operators, facilities and fire protection engineers, hardware OEMs, procurement and supply chain leaders, and anyone responsible for permitting, insuring, or deploying energy storage at scale.

The Panel

Moderator: Joel Chakkalakal, Director of Data Centers and Sustainability, Americase; Joel brings a supply chain and operator-facing perspective to the intersection of product design, regulatory compliance, and data center safety. As a contributing member of the OCP community, Joel will drive a focused, practical conversation grounded in the white paper’s findings — directing questions to individual panelists while keeping the discussion open for all voices to contribute.

Panelists:

• Mike Pagel, Principal Consultant, HazMat Safety Consulting (an Americase International company); one of North America’s foremost experts on the transportation and storage of hazardous materials, with deep specialization in lithium battery regulations across IATA, IMDG, 49 CFR, ADR, and TDGR frameworks. As a contributing author of the OCP white paper, Mike played a central role in educating the working group on the global regulatory environment — translating complex, jurisdiction-specific requirements into actionable guidance for data center practitioners. His expertise spans not only what the regulations say today, but where they are heading as codes like NFPA 800 and NFPA 855 (2026) come into force.
• Shrikanth “Sri” Venkateshappa, Head of IT Power, Rittal; Work Stream Lead, OCP Ready™ Facilities. Sri leads the IT Power team at Rittal, one of the world’s leading providers of rack infrastructure and power distribution for data centers. As Work Stream Lead for the OCP Ready™ Facilities Lead working group, Sri guided the technical development of the white paper from an OEM perspective — ensuring the requirements are grounded in how hardware is actually designed, specified, and deployed at scale.
• Mauro Leuce, Senior Director, Global Design & Engineering Standards, Digital Realty. Mauro is Digital Realty’s Global Design and Engineering Standards SME, responsible for ensuring that the company’s facilities meet the highest safety and compliance bar across dozens of jurisdictions worldwide. He contributed to the white paper from the perspective of a customer who must deploy, insure, permit, and operate ESS at global scale under regulatory frameworks that vary significantly by country and region.

FAQs

Is this session relevant if we don’t operate lithium-ion BESS at scale yet?

Yes. The panel covers BBUs and UPS as well as BESS, and addresses emerging chemistries like nickel-zinc and sodium-ion — so it’s equally useful for teams evaluating what to deploy next as it is for teams managing existing lithium-ion footprints.

Do I need to have read the OCP white paper beforehand?

No. The panel is built to make the white paper’s findings accessible and debated live — you don’t need prior familiarity, though you’re welcome to review it in advance via the link on this page.

Who is this session designed for?

Hyperscale and colocation operators, facilities and fire protection engineers, hardware OEMs, procurement and supply chain leaders, and anyone responsible for permitting, insuring, or deploying energy storage systems at scale.

Will this cover US-specific codes only, or global requirements?

Global. The panel specifically addresses how NFPA 855 governs in the US but has no legal standing in markets like Germany, Japan, or Singapore, and how FM Global 5-33 matters enormously to insurers without being a regulatory requirement — plus the operational reality of navigating AHJ variance across 25+ countries. The forthcoming NFPA 800 and the EU Battery Regulation are also referenced as part of the evolving landscape.

Is there time for audience questions?

Yes — the session includes dedicated time for audience Q&A after the panel discussion.

Will slides, the white paper, or a recording be available afterward?

The OCP white paper and supporting appendices are linked on this page. Session recordings and follow-up materials, if available, will be shared through official OCP Summit channels after the event.

Bring your hardest permitting question. This panel is built to answer it.