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Hybrid co-locatedSouth KoreaEIR-0155

Fire damages battery storage system at solar plant in Samcheok

Dec 2018Published 7 Sept 2026Responsible editor: Chief Editor

SignificantThermal / fire
Reported damageFrom the sourceHow? Know the real figure?
Figure hidden: shown to subscribersReported figure
out of service for about •• daysShown in the record →Full estimate
From the recordRoot cause hiddenFailed part hiddenAsset hidden years oldThe maker is named in 11 other entries (being named is not a finding of fault)
Where
Solar plant in Samcheok, Gangwon Province, South Korea
Manufacturer
LG Chem
What
Fire destroyed lithium-ion battery units and damaged building
Injuries
None reported
Cause
Could not be determined

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

What happened

In December 2018, a fire broke out during the evening at a battery energy storage system integrated with a solar generation facility in Samcheok, Gangwon Province, South Korea. The fire destroyed a large number of lithium-ion battery units and damaged part of the building housing the system, resulting in substantial property loss. No injuries were reported in the source. Fire services noted that lithium-ion battery fires of this type are difficult to extinguish, as contact with water can cause further heating and explosion risk.

The exact cause could not be determined, as the batteries were consumed so completely that investigators were unable to identify a point of origin. The facility had reportedly undergone a safety inspection earlier the same month under a national programme addressing battery storage fire risk. The incident occurred during a period of rapid growth in storage installations paired with renewable generation in the country.

Contributing factors

According to the source report, water damage to the batteries had been identified during a safety inspection before the fire, and the battery supplier, LG Chem, twice requested that the system be taken out of service. The report states that the system remained in service and that the batteries were returned to operating condition before the fire. The register has not independently verified these accounts and no formal cause was established.

Lessons learned

  1. A supplier notice of water damage to lithium-ion batteries must trigger an automatic operational hold until assessment is complete.
  2. Lithium-ion battery fires destroy physical evidence, so battery management and alarm data must be preserved off site for later review.
  3. Co-located storage and generation share a building, so fire separation and loss of the shared structure must be assessed together.

More lessons on detection and monitoring, spacing, layout and fire spread, from every incident on the register.

Not yet known

  • Battery model and age
  • Cost of the damage
  • Duration of downtime
  • Follow-up actions after the safety inspection

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

Source

munhwa.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).

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

See battery storage explosions.

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