Ministry of Industry Forms 'Battery Industry Site Safety Inspection TF'

Visit to Bitsrocell Dangjin Factory with the National Fire Agency

Kang Kyung-sung, the 1st Vice Minister of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, visited Bitsrocell, a domestic lithium primary battery company in Dangjin, Chungnam, on the 25th. After listening to the operating status and difficulties from officials, he inspected the safety management system and manufacturing facilities within the company. Photo by Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced that on the afternoon of the 25th, First Vice Minister Kang Kyung-seong visited the Vitzrocell lithium primary battery manufacturing facility in Dangjin, Chungnam, and conducted a joint inspection of on-site safety management together with related agencies such as the Fire Agency, Korea Electrical Safety Corporation, and Korea Gas Safety Corporation.

This on-site safety inspection was carried out to prevent similar accidents by visiting and inspecting similar workplaces following the fire at the Arisell lithium primary battery factory in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi on the 24th, which resulted in casualties.

Vitzrocell is the number one lithium primary battery company in Korea and ranks third worldwide. It holds 85% of the domestic lithium primary battery market and recorded sales of approximately 200 billion KRW in 2023. Vice Minister Kang emphasized, "Due to the chemical characteristics of lithium batteries, once a fire occurs, it is not easy to extinguish, so proactive safety management is more important than anything else."

On the 25th, officials from the National Forensic Service are conducting an on-site investigation at the fire scene of a primary battery manufacturing factory in Hwaseong-si, Gyeonggi Province. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy plans to establish and operate a 'Battery Industry On-site Safety Inspection Task Force (TF)' led by the First Vice Minister of the Ministry, with participation from the Ministry headquarters, the National Institute of Technology and Standards, the Fire Agency, the Battery Industry Association, the Korea Electrical Safety Corporation, and other related agencies for on-site safety inspections and continuous monitoring of similar workplaces.

Through the TF, the Ministry will focus inspections not only on lithium primary battery manufacturing facilities but also on lithium secondary battery manufacturing facilities, lithium battery energy storage system (ESS) manufacturing facilities, and used battery storage facilities, which are key domestic lithium battery-related sites.

The Ministry also announced plans to immediately conduct comprehensive safety inspections of industrial infrastructure including electricity, gas, and industrial complexes in preparation for summer typhoons and floods, starting with safety inspections of the lithium battery industry sites.