Residents fear fires at battery storage sites
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Everyone knows lithium battery fires are notoriously difficult to deal with, can re-ignite unexpectedly, and release toxic fumes into the air. The UK seems to have few restrictions on the siting of the grid-scale versions now being installed, making residents in affected locations feel nervous but unable to resist.
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Residents living near proposed battery energy storage systems (BESS) say they fear massive fires and environmental pollution.
BESSs are being built across the UK to help balance the electricity grid, which is becoming increasingly powered by renewables, says BBC News.
But there are no laws that specifically govern the safety of BESSs, and people living near proposed sites in South Hetton, County Durham, have voiced concerns.
Some experts are calling for a pause in their deployment until Health and Safety regulations are established. The government said it had “high safety standards in place for the industry”.
BESSs are made up of huge numbers of lithium-ion batteries inside metal containers.
When there is excess renewable energy in the grid, the batteries store the energy, then release it back into the grid when needed.
. . .
The company planning the West Lane BESS site, Rewe 8 Ltd, did not respond to requests for comment, but the project website, external says BESS sites “play a crucial role in decarbonising our national grid and are identified through government policy as critical national infrastructure”.
‘Irresponsible and crazy’
Retired Oxford University engineering science professor Peter Dobson has warned BESSs could become the next legacy fire safety issue, with major risks to the public.
“The energy stored in one container is the equivalent of three tonnes of TNT,” he said.
“As soon as the thing goes critical and starts burning or exploding, you’ve got all the chemical potential of those volatile liquids in the batteries.”
Fires can start in lithium batteries if they overheat or are damaged, and lithium is difficult to extinguish, he said.
Prof Dobson said it would be like “putting a chemical refinery right next door to somebody’s house”.
“I think it’s irresponsible and crazy.”
He has called on the government to halt all BESS installations until mandatory safety regulations were in place.
In England and Wales, decisions on BESSs are made by local planning authorities.
Full article here.
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Image: Scottish battery storage site
Source: https://tallbloke.wordpress.com/2025/07/13/residents-fear-fires-at-battery-storage-sites/
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