There have been more than seven energy storge system (“ESS”) related fire incidents that have occurred since May 2020. The Korean government has investigated such incidents and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced on 2 May 2022 certain ESS safety enhancement measures (the “ESS Safety Measures”). MOTIE plans to implement the ESS Safety Measures by amending the relevant administrative rules and laws by year end.
Key Takeaways
The primary objective of the ESS Safety Measures is to strengthen safety standards of ESSs, including batteries and battery-related facilities. At the same time, the ESS Safety Measures seek to promote the development of an ESS industry by relaxing some of the existing ESS safety measures.
The ESS Safety Measures focus on battery life warranty, recalls and the imposition of mandatory insurance to cover electrical facility incidents.
Key Details
| Item | Measure | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Battery | Battery Life Warranty | Change the absolute limit on the charging of batteries to 80% and 90% for indoor and outdoor ESS facilities respectively to a new test focussing on the charging limit being the battery’s capacity during the life of the battery under warranty. |
| Ground Fault Protection Device | Pushing for amending safety standards to install ground-fault detectors *Ground fault is a fault in which the unintentional pathway of the straying electrical current flows directly to the ground. |
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| Operation Management | Safety Manager | Mandatory monthly inspection of ESS by electrical safety manager, which has been implemented since January 2022 |
| ESS Management | Used Battery | Stability and suitability certificate from battery manufacturers or certification authorities required for battery capacity, warranty period, etc. |
| Mobile ESS | Establishment of installation standards, including installation place (no indoor), separation distance (3m from dangerous objects and 1.5m from general public) and stop period (within one day) | |
| Security for Fire Prevention | Recall System | Establishment of recall order system concerning manufacturers of defective electrical facility components based on results of investigation of electrical facility fires |
| Mandatory Insurance | Mandatory taking out of third party accident insurance. | |
| Relaxing Standards | Separation Distance |
Mandatory installation of fire protection bulkhead per battery of 5MWh or less and relaxing the separation distance standards as follows:
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If you have any questions or require assistance regarding the above, please feel free to contact us via the following key contacts. Shin & Kim’s Project-Energy Group offers unrivaled, in-depth consultation regarding new and renewable energy laws and systems, project finance, mergers and acquisitions of energy companies, construction of power plants, and complete project development. We are recognized by many legal surveys and are recognised in Chambers as a Band 1 firm in Projects & Energy.
[Korean version] 산업통상자원부 “전기저장장치(Energy Storage System, ESS) 안전 강화대책” 추진
