Establishment of Electric Vehicle Battery Fire Safety Testing and Evaluation Center in Ochang, Chungbuk... KTC Selected as Lead Organization

The Korea Testing Certification (KTC) announced on the 22nd that it has been finally selected as the lead institution for the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy's "Establishment Project for Fire Safety Evaluation of High Energy Density Lithium-ion Batteries for Electric Vehicles (EV)."

This project will be carried out over three years until 2026, with a total budget of 47.52 billion KRW (15.52 billion KRW from the national government, 13.5 billion KRW from KTC, 9.25 billion KRW from Chungbuk Province, and 9.25 billion KRW from Cheongju City). It will be implemented on a site of 17,206㎡ and a total floor area of 4,300㎡ within the Cheongju Ochang Technopolis Industrial Complex.

A bird's-eye view of the KTC electric vehicle battery fire safety evaluation testing center to be established by 2026 in the Techno Polis General Industrial Complex, Ochang, Chungbuk. Image courtesy of KTC

KTC formed a consortium with the Korea Automotive Technology Institute, Korea Electronics Technology Institute, and Korea Battery Industry Association to propose the project to the government, and after a public selection process, it was chosen as the final lead institution on the 21st.

Accordingly, KTC plans to establish a dedicated fire safety evaluation center for medium-sized EV batteries (50~150kWh), constructing two pack test buildings and three module test buildings capable of customized individual tests according to international standards based on battery fire scale.

Additionally, KTC will equip specialized facilities including 12 types of thermal runaway and heat transfer evaluation and analysis equipment, as well as dust collection systems. Furthermore, it will provide tailored technical support by developing detailed fire safety test evaluation methods and battery safety evaluation-related organizational standards to meet the diverse requirements of finished vehicle manufacturers and strengthening international standards. KTC also plans to promote capacity-building education on fire safety testing in collaboration with universities and companies.

KTC expects that upon completion of the infrastructure project, securing fire safety for EV batteries will strengthen the international competitiveness of domestic manufacturers who are already leading the global battery market.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.