ESS fire at Yeongam Solar Power Complex, Daemyung Energy, South Korea
EIR-0658Provisional entry. Published from first reports. This entry is rechecked automatically and updated when more sources appear. No further update is scheduled; the entry stays provisional until new information is published.
A fire broke out at 4:28pm on 27 December 2022 in one of 24 energy storage system (ESS) buildings at the Yeongam solar power complex, operated by Daemyung Energy in Geumjeong-myeon (Geummyeon-myeon), Yeongam-gun, Jeollanam-do, South Korea. The site combines a 94MW solar array with a 251MWh battery storage system used to shift peak generation for grid balancing. The fire was contained to one of the 24 ESS buildings, each of reinforced concrete construction. The Yeongam Fire Station dispatched 21 vehicles, including pump and chemical trucks, and 45 personnel. Fire officials stated that because it was a battery fire, efforts focused on preventing spread rather than extinguishing it directly, allowing it to burn out. Casualties were not reported in the source. This was the same site where a separate ESS fire occurred in June 2018, linked to a wind farm battery installation, which destroyed a 12MWh battery, a 4MW power conversion system and a building.
The site had previously experienced an ESS fire in 2018 linked to a co-located wind farm battery system. Industry commentary cited in the source suggested that battery aging, insufficient continuous monitoring and inadequate separation between ESS buildings were contributing risk factors in recurring ESS fires nationally, though no official cause had been confirmed for this specific incident at the time of reporting.
- Sites with a prior history of energy storage fires warrant enhanced monitoring and risk mitigation measures to prevent recurrence.
- Physical separation of battery storage units into discrete buildings can help contain fire spread and limit damage to a single unit.
- Continuous condition monitoring for battery aging should be implemented as a preventive measure, particularly at multi-unit ESS installations.
- Fire response protocols for battery fires may prioritise containment over active extinguishing, and operators should plan for extended burn-out periods and associated downtime.
Published 2026-09-11. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.