Battery storage fire destroys solar-linked ESS room in Yeongdong, South Korea
Sept 2018Published 13 Sept 2026Responsible editor: Chief Editor
- Where
- BESS linked to solar in Yeongdong, North Chungcheong Province, South Korea
- Manufacturer
- LG Chem
- What
- Fire broke out on 1 September 2018
- Cause
- Not reported
- Outcome
- ESS room burnt down and related equipment destroyed
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Companies named in the reporting of this entry (being named is not a finding of fault): LG Chem
What happened
On 1 September 2018, a fire broke out at a battery energy storage system (BESS) connected to a solar power installation in Yeongdong, North Chungcheong Province, South Korea. The system used lithium-ion batteries manufactured by LG Chem. The ESS room was burnt down and related equipment was destroyed. This was one of three ESS fires that occurred in South Korea that month, part of a wider series of at least ten ESS fire incidents in the country since the first case in Gochang in August 2017.
Investigations by relevant agencies and industry experts were ongoing at the time of reporting, with the exact cause of the Yeongdong fire not confirmed. The incident contributed to national concern about a lack of specific safety regulation for large-scale battery storage systems in South Korea, prompting government review of ESS installations of 10 MWh capacity or greater.
Contributing factors
Sources indicate that potential causes under industry-wide investigation for this wave of ESS fires included heat wave conditions, battery cell defects, faults in specific components or assembly processes, and external impacts. Lithium-ion batteries using volatile electrolytes were noted as a general risk factor when internal temperatures exceed around 70 degrees Celsius. Some experts also pointed to potential ignition risks arising during integration of battery management systems, power conversion systems and power control systems, rather than the battery cells themselves. No specific root cause for the Yeongdong incident was confirmed in the source.
Lessons learned
- Lithium-ion BESS rooms need fire barriers between modules and racks to limit spread when cells overheat.
- Operators should review integration of battery management systems with power conversion systems to reduce ignition risk.
More lessons on spacing, layout and fire spread, detection and monitoring, from every incident on the register.
Not yet known
- Exact cause of the fire
- Operator of the site
- BESS model and age
- Cost of damage and downtime
This entry is updated when these are reported. Get an alert for the next one like it.
Source
Published 2026-09-13. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.
