Energy Incident Register
Register / Battery storage / EIR-0146
← Back to the list
Battery storageSouth KoreaEIR-0146

Fire in battery storage system at Gimhae in South Korea

Oct 2019Published 7 Sept 2026Responsible editor: Chief Editor

SignificantThermal / fireProvisional
Estimated damageEstimated by the register's adjusterHow? Know the real figure?
Figure hidden: shown to subscribersMedium confidence
out of service for about •• daysShown in the record →Full estimate
From the recordRoot cause hiddenFailed part hiddenAsset hidden years old
Where
Battery energy storage system in Gimhae, South Korea
What
Fire on 27 October 2019
Injuries
None reported
Cause
Voltage deviation of each battery in the rack rose continuously, resulting in thermal runaway

What happened

A fire is recorded at a battery energy storage system in Gimhae, South Korea, on 27 October 2019. The available database record says the energy management system log showed the voltage deviation of each battery in the rack rising continuously, resulting in thermal runaway. The system is recorded as 2.2 MWh, NMC chemistry, 1.5 years old, installed outdoors for solar integration, with damaged capacity reported as 1.0%. No injuries, fire-service response or wider outcome are reported in the source used here.

Contributing factors

The only account available is that voltage deviation of the batteries in the rack increased continuously before thermal runaway. No separate root-cause investigation was retrieved.

Lessons learned

  1. Treat a continuing rise in rack voltage deviation on the energy management system as an early warning of thermal runaway in a BESS.
  2. Outdoor solar-integration storage needs detection and isolation that can limit damage if one rack fails.
  3. Retain energy management system logs so voltage trends can be reviewed after a fire.

More lessons on detection and monitoring, from every incident on the register.

Not yet known

  • Root cause of the voltage deviation
  • Fire service response details
  • Wider outcome for the asset

This entry is updated when these are reported. Get an alert for the next one like it.

Source

sciencedirect.com

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

See the register's stories first in Google: add it as a preferred source.

Chart to reuse with this story: Battery storage incidents in South Korea, by year, free with a credit (PNG).

Battery storage incidents in South Korea: 35 entries, with a free alert for the next one.

Battery storage fires: the counts, the latest entries and a free alert for the next one.

Browse the full register or submit an incident.