A parliamentary debate today requires reform of regulations to implement the national safety standards for Battery Energy Storage Systems (Bess).
Liberal -Democrat Parliament member John Milne will lead a debate today in parliament, because he warns that only regulation at the local level hinders the transition of green energy and jeopardizes communities.
A common theme of community pushback When developers bring Bess plans forward is that the fire risk outweighs the benefits of technology in helping the energy transition.
According to Milne, a clear national fire safety standard for BESS would “accelerate, not hinder” the development of technology. Under the plans of the UK to reach Clean Power 2030, up to 27 GW Bess is required to support the amount of capacity of renewable energy that will come online.
Milne said: “We need these battery storage facilities to make renewable energy work – they are essential for storing wind and solar energy. With government projections that show an increased demand for storage of grid energy storage, legal gaps must now be concluded to ensure that they are safely built from the ground.”
Battery storage risks
Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries are the dominant storage technology used in Bess because of their high energy density, efficiency and long life cycle, but safety problems arising as a result of the potential of chemistry for the implementation of the thermal hindrance.
The Faraday Institutioncited in a government research briefing that was published before the debate, estimates that Lithium-IJzer-Fosphate batteries made around 60% of the Lithium-Iionbess on the British market in 2022 due to their lower costs and higher efficiency.
Large -scale Bess facilities contain millions of battery cells that, if not effectively protected or insulated, quickly spread the fire. Li-ion batteries are sensitive to thermal runaway, which occurs, occurs when part of a battery is damaged or has a production error. This ensures that the internal components of the battery dissect, which causes heat. Without external cooling, this cycle can lead to a fire.
Bess -burns are very rare – with A recorded in the UK at the end of last yearand before One in Liverpool in 2020– But the storage industry still acts to guarantee the highest safety standard. In one Blog contributed to News for energy storageDr. Judy Jevarajan from Ul Research Institutes writes that proactive management and limitation of risks minimizes the risk of burning and other catastrophic events.
Milne evokes that local fire services will be legal consulti for all battery storage on an industrial scale, in addition to the implementation of mandatory safety measures.
In August 2023, the British Government Guidance issued planning guidance that developers and local planning authorities (LPAs) encouraged to consult fire and rescue services on Bess planning applications, but this is not a legal requirement.
The National Fire Chiefs Council has a best practical guide for BESS fire safety on the grid-scale where the government also registers the developers and LPAs.
Frameworks to guarantee the safety of the battery
According to the British government, a “robust regulatory framework” includes the components of a battery storage system, “for which manufacturers must ensure that products are safe before they are placed on the market and are installed correctly, and that all safety problems found after products are on the market or after the installations have been treated.”
Associations of energy storage argue for safety standards, and demonstrable that there is not one, is the result of the relative novelty of energy storage technologies, rather than industrial restraint.
The European Association for Energy storage (convenience) has pushed for a safety standard used in EuropeAnd in April this year, the Clean Energy Trade Body American Clean Power Association (ACP) Bess Safety Framework Sketching important actions and policy recommendations for industry.
In the US there are already legal requirements that ensure that developers reduce fire risk, and New York is a leader for this. The fire safety working group of the state between the State in New York was formed by the governor of the state of Kathy Hochul, in response to worry about the safety of the battery energy storage system (BESS) and the FIRST CODE OPENTED To find a balance between Improving safety and tackling important concerns, while it does not create significant obstacles for the use of storage.
If it is determined in the same way, a British legal standard for Bess would ensure that a safety standard was met, and the safety problems that slow down the LPA decisions.
