Kaohsiung lithium battery plant fire reignites, company makes public apology
Kaohsiung lithium battery plant fire reignites, company makes public apology
2025-07-15
Monday’s lithium battery fire at Molie Quantum Technology Corporation’s warehouse in Kaohsiung was put out for a while, only to reignite hours later. Now, almost 27 hours since the incident, the fire was finally extinguished. Amid public outrage, the company made a formal apology in person, but local borough chiefs and the district legislator were not having it.
The fire that broke out in the early hours of Monday was put out, only to reignite in the evening. Meanwhile, fire trucks continue to spray water for cooling.
Lin Yi-chieh
Kaohsiung City Fire Bureau
The fire has been put out. There’s still some heat at the scene. We’re continuing with watering to cool down the temperature.
Some 27 hours after the original fire, it’s finally put out again. But the damage was already done. Local residents are reluctant to take off their masks, which they wore to protect themselves against toxins in the smog.
Local resident
There was also the smell in the evening, just not as strong. It’s so toxic, I don’t even know whether wearing a face mask actually works.
A sample collected at the scene shows that the fire came from these Molicel 21700 lithium-ion batteries. A 21700 battery measures 21mm in diameter and 70mm in length, and is used to power high-performance devices and applications in electric aircrafts, space technology and AI. A total of 2 million of these Molicels were lost in the fire.
The day after the fire started, the general manager of Molie Quantum Technology Corporation and high-level managers of its parent company, Taiwan Cement Corporation made a public apology. However, they could not say what exactly caused the fire in the first place.
Yeh Yu-chun
Taiwan Cement group deputy GM
Because all of our processes are designed to be fully automated, when it’s in operation, it’s likely that there were faults in operations this time, which led to the fire. We cannot say for sure what caused the fire for now.
Molie Quantum Technology says the fire started at a warehouse for semi-finished lithium-ion batteries. Prior to the incident, the batteries were undergoing a last-stage performance evaluation, during which the automated sensors identified overheating. However, the fire extinguishing equipment on site could not bring down the fire. In the end, there were even explosions from the sparks, which caused injuries to 12 staff members and three firefighters.
The fire severely compromised the air quality nearby. However, Molie Quantum Energy’s general manager insists that there’s no leakage of the highly corrosive and toxic hydrogen fluoride. Local borough chiefs are not having it.
Lai Jui-lung
Local district legislator
The people’s safety is the utmost priority, preventing air pollution is also a priority. If Molie Quantum Energy cannot ensure these things, then we also reject the company’s presence here.
Meanwhile, netizens are posting online, claiming they were notified by the Pingtung County Government, that the toxic gases have already traveled south, to townships such as Chaozhou and Wanluan, and that people are advised to shower after being out in the rain. The Pingtung County Government clarified that the message is fabricated, and cited air quality figures as proof. The county government also reported disseminators of the fake message to the police.
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三元鋰電池廠爆炸! 業者"鞠躬道歉" 里長揚言"要圍廠"
2025-07-15
14日清晨發生大火的高雄三元鋰電池廠，晚間又復燃，消防隊連夜射水降溫，一直到今天上午7點49分才撲滅，足足燒了近27小時。立委賴瑞隆不滿業者一整天神穩，上午召開檢討公聽會，業者兩度向市民鞠躬道歉，但里長不買單，揚言要圍廠。
三元大火原本已經獲得控制，但14日晚間再度復燃，消防隊持續從高空灑水降溫。
[[高雄市消防局第三大隊副大隊長 林奕傑]]
“火勢狀況已經熄滅，現場還有一些溫度，我們持續在灑水降溫”
大火足足燒了近27個小時才被撲滅，附近居民也被薰了一整天，口罩不敢拿下來。
[[小港區居民]]
“晚上也有，只是說沒有那麼明顯。不然那麼毒，戴了也不知道有沒有用”
根據了解，引起爆炸的禍首就是這款「21700」規格的鋰電池，直徑21毫米，長度70毫米，運用在電動航空器、太空科技、AI等尖端領域，200萬顆全都付之一炬。
神隱了一天，三元科技總經理和母公司台泥高層兩度鞠躬道歉，但對起火原因卻說不清楚。
[[台泥企業團副總經理 葉毓君]]
“因為我們所有的設計都是所謂全自動的，在運作的過程當中，是不是有一些運作的不是很好的地方，而導致這次的火災，我們沒有辦法在現在跟大家說起火原因”
三元表示，起火點是在鋰電池半成品區，進行最後階段的活性測試時，感知設備監測到溫度升高，但廠區內的消防設備卻沒有辦法有效阻止火勢擴大，還發生閃爆，導致12名員工和3名消防人員受傷。
大火造成嚴重空污，總經理卻不斷強調沒有毒性化學物氫氟酸外洩，讓來開公聽會的里長聽不下去。
[[立委 賴瑞隆]]
“人民的安全優先，包括空污的防治優先，如果沒有辦法做好這些工作的話，我們拒絕接受三元公司在這個地方”
網路上甚至出現一則屏東縣政府的通知，說毒氣體已經飄到屏東潮州、萬巒等地，請民眾淋雨後要沐浴，屏東縣政府澄清是假訊息，拿出數據證明空品沒有受到大火影響，並已向刑事大隊報案。
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