A solar energy storage unit containing thousands of lithium-ion batteries caught fire in the early hours of January 7, following a truck accident in Yunlin County, Taiwan. The incident began when the truck overturned on County Road 145B, below the Huwei Interchange on National Highway One, at around 1:00 pm on January 6.
The truck, which was carrying solar power storage units, emitted white smoke for more than 12 hours due to a thermal reaction in the lithium-ion batteries. Firefighters responded by deploying firefighting robots to spray the vehicle’s cabin and fuel tanks while waiting for the thermal reaction to subside.
At around 4:00 am, after approximately 16 hours of smoke, the lithium battery array erupted into flames. The unit, which contained over 3,000 lithium-ion batteries connected in series and charged to 50% capacity, became a serious safety concern.
The manufacturer of the solar energy storage unit had warned firefighters not to move the unit due to the risk of an explosion caused by excessive gas pressure inside the cabinet. Firefighters were advised to let the thermal reaction complete naturally.
The storage unit had been in transit from Shalu District in Taichung City to a company in Douliu City, Yunlin County, for installation.
To ensure public safety, police closed off a 200-meter radius around the crash site and blocked the outer lane of southbound National Highway One.
As of 10:30 am on January 7, the fire had still not been fully extinguished.
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