Fire and explosion at solar-linked BESS in South Korea

Jan 2022Published 7 Sept 2026Responsible editor: Chief Editor

SignificantThermal / fire0.5 MW

Estimated damageEstimated by the register's adjusterHow? Know the real figure?

out of service for about •• daysShown in the record →Full estimate

From the recordAsset years oldThe maker is named in 8 other entries (being named is not a finding of fault)

Where: Singok-ri, Umyeon-myeon, Gunwi-gun, Gyeongsangbuk-do
Manufacturer: Willings supplied the power conversion system and LG Energy Solution the battery
What: Fire at outdoor BESS linked to 500 kW solar plant, followed by explosion
Injuries: None reported
Response: Firefighters entered after smoke reports; explosion ten minutes after they withdrew

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Companies named in the reporting of this entry (being named is not a finding of fault): LG Chem, LG Energy Solution

What happened

A fire occurred at an outdoor energy storage system connected to a 500 kW solar power plant in Singok-ri, Umyeon-myeon, Gunwi-gun, Gyeongsangbuk-do. The system comprised a 450 kW power conversion system supplied by Willings and a 1.5 MWh lithium-ion battery supplied by LG Chem, now LG Energy Solution, and had been in commercial operation since August 2018. Firefighters entered the structure after reports of smoke. Ten minutes after they withdrew, an explosion occurred. No injuries were reported.

Contributing factors

The system was operating at 90 per cent state of charge. Firefighters opened the door to the structure. A gas fire-extinguishing system, water system and exhaust were fitted.

Lessons learned

Firefighters should not open the door of a lithium-ion BESS on smoke reports alone, as this can allow air to trigger explosion.
A gas fire-extinguishing system may not stop explosion in a BESS at 90 per cent state of charge.
Operators should give fire services response manuals for the exact BESS model before any incident.

More lessons on fire suppression and firefighting, from every incident on the register.

Not yet known

Cause of the fire and explosion
Downtime and cost of repairs
Battery cell model and exact age

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Source

epri.box.com

Published 2026-09-07. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.

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Chart to reuse with this story: Hybrid co-located incidents in South Korea, by year, free with a credit (PNG).

The record behind this entry

The record behind EIR-0136 holds the site, the manufacturer, the capacity, the fire service response and the age at the incident as fields you can filter, count and export, with its 2 sources and their verification status. The cause is not hidden: the contributing factors above give it as the sources report it. The record adds it as a field. Companies are named in the roles the sources give them. Being named is not a finding of fault.

Site: ••••••••••••
Manufacturer: ••••••••
Capacity: •••••
Fire service response: ••••••••••
Age at incident: •••
Sources: ••••••••••

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Hybrid co-located incidents in South Korea: 20 entries, with a free alert for the next one.

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