Fire safety in South-East Asia

Jean-David Ly is regional sales manager for South-East Asia at FireDos. In the following interview, he answers a few questions on the subject of fire safety in South-East Asia, the differences compared with Europe, and the switch to fluorine-free foam agents.

How would you describe the current state of the fire protection market in South-East Asia?

The market is growing, especially in oil & gas and petrochemical facilities. Many customers are upgrading old systems and looking for more reliable, safer, and more environmentally friendly solutions. At the same time, new plants are being built. We see both: old systems to replace, and new projects to equip.

What developments have had a particularly significant impact on the market in recent years?

The main development is the transition from PFAS based foams to fluorine free foams. PFAS restrictions and environmental pressure are pushing end users to review their existing extinguishing systems, foam proportioners, and testing procedures. In Singapore, for example, the government has recently restricted the use of firefighting foams containing PFAS, a clear sign of a trend that is spreading across the SEA region.

How do the requirements in South-East Asia differ from those in Europe?

The technical standards are often close, because many plants here follow international standards like FM, UL, NFPA, or similar recognized standards. The real difference is the PFAS/fluorine free transition: in Europe, the EU sets one common direction for the whole region. In South-East Asia, there is no single regulation, each country moves at its own pace, so the transition is less standardized. The good news: FireDos water driven proportioners perform just as well here for fluorine free foams as in Europe.

What do customers pay particular attention to when selecting fire protection solutions?

Reliability comes first, especially compatibility with new fluorine free foams, which are more viscous and more difficult to proportion accurately than AFFF. AFFF (Aqueous Film-Forming Foam) is a synthetic foaming agent which is added to water to produce foam. A key characteristic is that its fluorosurfactants form a water-based, vapour-sealing film on the surface of flammable liquids, allowing the foam to spread rapidly while effectively suppressing the release of flammable vapours. Customers also want equipment that is easy to maintain and reliable over the long term, on critical sites like refineries.

Below you can also watch a video of him at INTERSCHUTZ 2026 - enjoy!

What problems or challenges arise during the transition to fluorine-free foam agents?

The main challenge is that fluorine free foam agents often have higher viscosity than AFFF. Older proportioning systems may not be suitable, and can proportion fluorine free foam agents inaccurately or stop working. The existing system must be checked, and sometimes needs to be replaced. Customers also need to test the foam proportioning rate without discharging foam, which is an environmental and cost concern. This is where FireDos proportioners provide a clear advantage: our systems, which are designed to work reliably even with the higher viscosity of modern fluorine free foam concentrates, are able to test the foam proportioning rate without generating premix, so customers can verify accuracy without using foam concentrate.

What advantages do customers in South-East Asia see in fire protection solutions from Europe?

European suppliers usually offer strong certifications (FM, VdS, DIN EN 1568, etc.) and decades of manufacturing experience with these systems. Equipment that is built to last, with a simple and reliable design, is a key part of that value.

What role do factors such as reliability, durability, and certifications play in your customers’ investment decisions?

These factors are very important. Fire protection systems must work immediately in an emergency. Certifications such as FM, ATEX, DNV, and other international approvals help customers justify their investment, reduce technical risk, and are often mandatory for projects, giving engineers and insurers confidence.