The Korean Agency for Technology and Standards (KATS) under the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) announced that they will begin full-scale operations of the world's largest (30MW) secondary battery fire safety evaluation center equipped with secondary battery fire testing facilities in Samcheok, Gangwon Province. The 30MW testing facilities can conduct fire tests on a scale comparable to that of four electric vehicles, with each having an estimated capacity of 7MW.

As part of the safety enhancement policy for Energy Storage Systems (ESS) announced in 2019, KATS has invested KRW 69.8 billion from 2020 to 2023 to establish the secondary battery fire safety evaluation center within the fire safety industrial zone in Samcheok, and it held the opening ceremony for the large-capacity secondary battery fire safety evaluation center on September 15, 2023.

The evaluation center, jointly operated by the Korea Testing Certificate Institute (KTC) and the Korea Conformity Laboratories (KCL) will provide comprehensive technical support during the entirety of large-capacity secondary battery product development and commercialization, conduct detailed cause analysis and hazard verification testing following fire incidents, and engage in performance evaluation of large firefighting facilities for fire suppression.

Additionally, as an internationally accredited testing institution, the center plans to issue globally recognized test certificates, potentially reducing the testing and certification period and transportation costs for Korean companies exporting overseas.