Explosion Hits Taiwan Lithium Battery Manufacturing Plant

Image: TVBS

An explosion ripped through a lithium battery plant operated by mCellect Technology , a subsidiary of Taiwan Cement Corporation (TCC), early this morning in Xiaogang District, Kaohsiung. The blast injured 12 employees and 4 firefighters.

The facility—Taiwan’s first "super battery factory" with an annual capacity of 1.8GW—produces high-performance nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) batteries, enough to power 24,000 electric vehicles per year.

Thick toxic smoke blanketed the area following the fire. Kaohsiung City authorities warned residents to stay indoors, close windows, and avoid nonessential travel due to northeasterly winds carrying pollutants southwestward. Nearby Kaohsiung International Airport confirmed no flight disruptions.

TCC’s stock plunged over 3% during trading, falling below NT23 per share—a low unseen since Q2 2009.The NT20 billion (≈US$0.65 billion) plant, established in 2021 as part of TCC’s energy-tech transition, employs semiconductor-grade manufacturing standards.

Despite securing orders for AI servers and aerospace applications (with monthly shipments of 7-8 million cells), TCC admitted its battery business struggles amid intense global price competition, even while maintaining quality advantages. The cause of the explosion and extent of damages remain under investigation.