Battery storage thermal runaway linked to overcharging at Pyeongchang wind-integration site
Sept 2019Published 12 Sept 2026Responsible editor: Chief Editor
- Where
- Pyeongchang wind-integration site, South Korea
- Manufacturer
- Samsung SDI
- What
- Thermal runaway in 21 MWh indoor BESS on 24 September 2019
- Cause
- Repeated overcharging and discharging (battery abuse)
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Companies named in the reporting of this entry (being named is not a finding of fault): Samsung SDI
What happened
A battery energy storage system serving a wind integration application in Pyeongchang, South Korea, experienced a thermal runaway event on 24 September 2019. The system was an indoor installation using NMC lithium-ion cells from Samsung SDI, with a capacity of 21 megawatt-hours and about 2.7 years in service at the time. According to the EPRI BESS Failure Incident Database, energy management system log records confirmed that the battery had been subject to repeated overcharging and discharging, described as battery abuse.
The database does not report the extent of any fire, the emergency response, injuries or downtime, and no other detailed public account of the event was available at the time of writing.
Contributing factors
The database record states that energy management system logs confirmed repeated overcharging and discharging of the battery, described in the source as battery abuse. No further contributing factors are reported.
Lessons learned
- Energy management system logs must be checked often for repeated overcharge or discharge that can lead to thermal runaway.
- Indoor BESS units need charge limits that stop abuse before cells degrade enough to run away.
- Wind integration duty may need a tighter operating envelope than standard use, reviewed as the asset ages.
More lessons on design, standards and commissioning, from every incident on the register.
Not yet known
- Extent of any fire
- Emergency response details
- Injuries if any
- Downtime and repair cost
This entry is updated when these are reported. Get an alert for the next one like it.
Standards referenced
EPRI
Source
Published 2026-09-12. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.
