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Hybrid co-locatedSouth KoreaEIR-0674

Battery storage fire at solar plant damages 306 battery units in Haenam, South Korea

July 2018Published 11 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 hidden
Where
solar power plant in Songji-myeon, Haenam County, South Jeolla Province, South Korea
What
fire in equipment building damaged 306 battery units
Injuries
None reported
Response
15 fire trucks took two hours to control blaze
Cause
Under investigation

What happened

On 12 July 2018, at around 16:24, a fire broke out in an equipment building at a solar power plant in Songji-myeon, Haenam County, South Jeolla Province, South Korea. The fire service deployed 15 fire trucks and took about two hours to bring the blaze under control. Firefighters reported difficulty extinguishing the fire because the lithium battery material reacts violently with water, and dry chemical powder extinguishers were used instead. In total, 306 battery units were damaged. No injuries were reported. The fire service estimated property damage at approximately 460 million South Korean won. The cause of the fire was under investigation at the time of reporting.

Contributing factors

The lithium battery chemistry involved is water reactive, which complicated firefighting and required use of dry chemical extinguishing agents instead of water.

Lessons learned

  1. Lithium battery fires in equipment buildings react violently with water, so operators must stock dry chemical extinguishers and train responders on their use.
  2. Battery storage fires can damage hundreds of units before control, so operators should fit early detection and automatic isolation in equipment buildings.

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

Not yet known

  • Battery model and age
  • Downtime after the fire
  • Operator of the site

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

Source

khan.co.kr

Other entries that name Haenam

Published 2026-09-11. 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.

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