Fire breaks out at SK On's EV battery plant during pilot run in China

Seoul, Nov 20

A fire broke out at SK On’s electric vehicle (EV) battery factory during a test run in China, but no fatalities were reported, the company said on Monday.

The blaze occurred at 2:50 p.m. (Chinese time) at the facility in Yancheng, eastern China, the company said in a statement.

"No casualties have been reported, and we are investigating the cause of the fire and property damage," the company said, reports Yonhap news agency.

SK On is the battery-making arm of South Korea's leading energy firm, SK Innovation Co.

The battery firm plans to start production at the new plant in the second quarter of 2024.

SK On is anticipated to confirm its production date after completing the investigation of the incident.

In 2021, the company unveiled a plan to invest 3 trillion won (US$2.32 billion) in a second production line in Yancheng. The new plant boasts an annual production capacity of 33 gigawatt hours (GWh), making it the largest among all its production lines in China.

SK On operates three separate EV battery plants in China, -- Changzhou in Jiangsu Province, Huizhou in central Guangdong Province, and Yancheng, -- with a combined annual capacity of 27 GWh.