Pohang Mayor Lee Kangdeok Orders Emergency On-Site Inspections of Local ESS Installation Sites

On-site Inspections at 22 Local Workplaces Until July 4 for Preventive Measures
Pohang City to Conduct Joint Fire Drills and Prepare Safety Measures with ESS-Related Agencies

Pohang Mayor Lee Kangdeok has ordered a special on-site inspection of workplaces equipped with energy storage systems (ESS) in response to the fire at the Dongkuk Steel ESS Center in Pohang.

Previously, at around 8:30 a.m. on June 16, a fire broke out at the ESS Center located in the third complex of the Pohang Steel Industrial Complex, resulting in property damage estimated at approximately 4 billion KRW.

The fire took a considerable amount of time to be fully extinguished. Due to the characteristics of lithium-ion batteries, large amounts of smoke and flames were generated, making the initial response difficult.

It was also pointed out that most ESS facilities are installed inside sealed containers or buildings, which makes it difficult to supply extinguishing water and limits firefighting efforts due to structural characteristics.

In response, from June 27 to July 4, Pohang City will conduct special on-site inspections of 22 ESS installation sites in the region, focusing on the Job Economy Bureau and the Urban Safety and Housing Bureau.

The inspections will target companies and public institutions with large-scale ESS installations. The city plans to check the safety of the equipment to prevent fires and directly communicate fire response procedures at the sites.

Additionally, the city plans to hold meetings with relevant agencies to strengthen responses to ESS fire incidents, discussing fire cause analysis and preventive measures. Pohang also intends to conduct joint fire drills involving companies and fire authorities to enhance on-site response capabilities.

Mayor Lee Kangdeok stated, "I would like to express my deep gratitude to all the firefighters who worked hard to extinguish the recent ESS Center fire," adding, "We will thoroughly analyze the cause of the fire and strengthen safety inspections and preventive measures in cooperation with relevant agencies to prevent similar incidents from recurring."