A fire broke out at Sanyuan Energy Co., Ltd. in Xiaogang District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, early on the 14th, with a large amount of thick smoke billowing from the building at the scene. The Kaohsiung Fire Department stated that after receiving the fire alarm at around 5 a.m., 46 rescue vehicles and 91 personnel had been dispatched to carry out rescue work. Robots have been used at the scene for fire fighting. The accident caused 12 employees to suffer minor abrasions and 3 firefighters to sustain minor burns, all of whom have been sent to the hospital for treatment.
It is reported that the company is adjacent to Taiwan Xiaogang Airport. Xiaogang Airport responded that the fire had no impact on flight take-offs and landings. At present, the cause of the fire and the property loss are pending further investigation.
Sanyuan Energy Technology's Kaohsiung lithium battery factory is Taiwan's first super battery factory, owned by Sanyuan Energy Technology Co., Ltd. under the Taiwan Cement Group. It produces high-end, high-capacity, high charge-discharge power nickel ternary batteries with an annual output of 1.8 gigawatts, which is equivalent to the long-range batteries needed for 24,000 electric vehicles per year.
As the fire broke out in a lithium battery factory with dense smoke, the Kaohsiung Municipal Government warned citizens that the current wind direction is northeasterly, which will carry pollutants southwestward. Residents in the downwind area should be alert to possible odour impacts. Citizens in Xiaogang District, Kaohsiung City are advised to stay indoors as much as possible, keep doors and windows closed, and reduce going out.
