Battery storage fire at solar site in Gunsan, South Korea

In 2018, a fire broke out in a battery energy storage system, manufactured by Samsung SDI, installed at a solar power facility in Osikdo-dong, Gunsan, North Jeolla, South Korea. Emergency services attended with a substantial number of vehicles, including chemical fire appliances, and around fifty personnel. Fire officials stated that the fire originated in lithium batteries and presented an explosion risk, so initial efforts were directed at preventing spread to surrounding areas rather than direct attack. No injuries were reported. The system was reported to have been in operation for approximately six months before the fire. The cause, the extent of damage and any remediation were not disclosed in the available reporting.

Not reported in the available source. Fire officials were reported as stating only that the fire originated in the lithium batteries and carried an explosion risk.

1. Agree a pre-incident plan with the local fire service for battery systems co-located with generation assets, setting out defensive tactics, exclusion distances and the specialist appliances likely to be needed.
2. Provide responders with site access details, battery chemistry information and isolation points in advance, so that decisions on containment and protection of adjacent structures can be made on arrival.
3. Plan for prolonged attendance and reignition after a lithium battery fire, including arrangements for monitoring the affected enclosure before it is declared safe.
4. Maintain inspection, monitoring and alarm review regimes from the first months of operation, as serious thermal events can occur within the first year of service.

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