Fire breaks out in CATL factory in China, no casualties reported
Emergency services were sent to the plant belonging to Chinese battery maker to fight the fire and organize the evacuation of any people inside the 15,000 square metre facility in Ningde.
A fire broke out at a factory belonging to Chinese battery maker CATL but the impact on operations will be “relatively small,” the company said.
No casualties were reported in the facility in the coastal city of Ningde and “the reasons behind this accident are still under investigation,” the company said.
Emergency services were sent to the plant to fight the fire and to organize the evacuation of any people inside the 15,000 square metre (160,000 square feet) factory, a statement by the Dongqiao Economic and Technological Development Zone said, AFP reports.
“The impact to CATL’s overall production operation is relatively small,” the company spokesperson said.
Founded in 2011, CATL is the world’s largest battery maker and produces more than a third of the EV batteries sold worldwide for leading automakers such as Tesla, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Toyota and Hyundai.
Of the top 50 selling NEVs globally, 27 are powered by CATL batteries.
The Ningde plant is situated in one of the company’s core battery production bases and a relatively newer production line, according to a Reuters report quoting local media.
In June, a fire at South Korean lithium battery manufacturer Aricell’s plant killed 23 people; quality failures were believed to be behind that blaze.
