"Overseas competitors will abuse this content tremendously ... I'll die, really"

A response from a battery manufacturer who saw the government's announcement that five ESS (Energy Storage System) fires since August last year was due to "battery failure". It means that if you save enough electricity and take it out when you don't have enough energy, you will be socially benefited.

The controversy is different from what the Public-Private Joint Investigation Group (the first investigation team) reached in June of last year. After analyzing 23 ESS fires from August 2017 to May 2019, the team concluded that the cause of the fire was 'complex'. The first investigation group also emphasized the poor protection and operation of ESS facilities operated by small businesses rather than the defects of batteries themselves. However, the new ESS fire accident investigation team (second investigation team), which was newly organized by the government, selected the battery as the ignition point after only five fire investigations.
The 2nd investigation team confirmed that the battery was burning through CCTV and confirmed the melting trace on the battery collected at the fire site. In particular, it suggested that the battery log records that preceded the fire could be analyzed, such as the low voltage phenomenon that the first investigation team could not confirm. The first investigation team was forced to conduct research on the outside environment because the site was burned down, but the second investigation team was able to check the operation records of batteries and energy with a black box. Kim Jae-cheol, Soongsil University professor of secondary investigation, said, “The fire battery log records showed various abnormalities such as low voltage. Was estimated. "

The problem is that these results are not accepted by the battery manufacturers. LG Chem said, “We conducted a test of our own by creating a harsh environment for four months in the same place where the fire broke out, but the fire was not reproduced. Samsung SDI claimed that "battery is a combustible material, not an ignition source." Both companies countered that "battery melting traces are common" or "not a direct cause of fire." In particular, Samsung SDI pinched, "The battery analyzed and announced is not a fired battery." When I requested and submitted a product that was made at the same time as the product installed in the fired ESS and installed in another site, the wrong announcement came out. "Why doesn't the fire happen anywhere else?"
In response, the panel said, "The purpose of the 2nd panel is to prevent recurrence rather than liability," he said. At the same time, three members of the National Assembly also participated in the survey, saying, "The objectivity is guaranteed by being able to investigate from the public's point of view without falling into the error of engineers, research institutes and companies." A business official said, "What is the public's position in the analysis of the scientific causes of compensation liability depending on the outcome?" In fact, LG Chem also reflected an operating loss of KRW27.5 billion in its 4Q08 results as a one-off expense from the results of the survey.

One expert who participated in the first round of investigations points out that the behavior of ESS managers, who build and neglect in secluded mountains, is supported by government subsidies. He compared the first investigation to an omnibus novel and the second investigation to a short story, saying, “There were many places where the external battery problem was supposed to be the cause of the fire. It seemed to be simple, ”said the 2nd Investigative Team. A battery manufacturer executive who was named as the cause of the fire said, "We only sold batteries." "Foreigners are operating companies with more than 100 years of know-how, such as GE and ABB, who run ESS.

Clearly, in the sense of 'go ahead,' a government announcement may have fatal consequences, with only the backlash of the parties. According to Fortune Business Insight, the global ESS market, which was $ 14.5 billion in 2018, is expected to reach $ 21.1 billion (about 25 trillion won) by the end of 2026. There is also a forecast of $ 29.8 billion in 2030. Korean companies account for 51% of the market, and the government went on to point them to the ESS fire. US Tesla, China BYD, and CATL, which are pursuing Korean companies, will surely use the Korean government's announcement for their sales.