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Battery farms are 'emerging risk', says fire chief

Vikki Irwin
BBC political reporter, Suffolk
Martin Giles/BBC Henry Griffin, deputy chief fire officer at Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service, is wearing his fire officer uniform, which is a white shirt with epaulettes. He has short, grey hair. Martin Giles/BBC
Henry Griffin, deputy chief fire officer at Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service, says crews are having to learn new fire-fighting techniques

A fire service wants more power to enforce safety measures for battery energy storage systems (BESS).

BESS stockpile green energy by using thousands of lithium-ion batteries in storage containers, but there are concerns about fire safety.

Henry Griffin, Suffolk's deputy chief fire officer, described the sites as an "emerging risk" and said communities were worried.

The government said there were "high safety standards in place" and BESS were a protection against "future energy shocks".

Martin Giles/BBC News There are three green shipping containers on a concrete base. Two firefighters are holding a red hose and have breathing apparatus. They are walking towards the smoke coming out of the containers. This is a training exercise.Martin Giles/BBC News
Suffolk firefighters at their training centre in Wattisham, where a Battery Energy Storage System fire can be simulated

BESS hold excess energy generated by wind and solar farms and then release it into the grid when the power is needed most.

Lithium-ion batteries - found in phones, e-bikes and electric vehicles - are used in large numbers.

Mr Griffin warned the scale of BESS meant firefighters were having to learn new techniques.

"There can be complications with vapour clouds and fires will last a long time," he added.

"It is an emerging risk for us and we are alive to it."

He wanted fire services to be given more power to enforce safety measures.

"I'd like to see a power that is akin to a regulatory order like those for a commercial property, where we would have the power to enforce safety measures on those sites."

He explained that currently the fire service was just a "contributing partner" - able to give "direction and professional advice" to those developing at BESS.

Contributed Professor Paul Christensen looks at the camera while standing in front of a stone wall. He has short dark hair with some grey in it. He wears glasses and a blue polo top. Contributed
Prof Paul Christensen says the batteries can be safe if used and operated correctly

Prof Paul Christensen, a lithium-ion battery expert at the University of Newcastle, said cells underwent "thermal runaway" when damaged.

When the batteries are overcharged, they can produce an "exothermic" chemical reaction which produce large volumes of explosive and toxic gas and additional heat.

"Eventually what you get is the gas venting from the individual cells.

"This can ignite to flames or you can actually get an explosion, when heat transfers from cell to cell. It's called thermal propagation," he said.

Prof Christensen stressed the batteries were often "perfectly safe" when operated within the set limits.

Martin Giles/BBC A view of a BESS site in a field. Large white boxes sit next to each other in rows while a large electricity pylon can be seen in the distance behind them. Martin Giles/BBC
BESS sites are already operating across Suffolk and other parts of the UK

A BESS can be standalone or attached to a solar farm. In Suffolk, a number are already operating and there are more in the pipeline:

  • Three BESS will accompany the agreed £600m Sunnica solar farm in west Suffolk
  • In March, plans were agreed for a 400MW BESS near Bramford in Ipswich
  • In February, a 101-acre (41-hectare) solar farm and accompanying BESS was agreed for Halesworth in east Suffolk

A government database tracking the progress of UK renewable electricity schemes over 150kW through the planning system lists 1,867 battery projects.

According to the online tool, 211 are operational or under construction.

Vikki Irwin/BBC Dr Catherine Judkins smiles at the camera while standing in a sports field. She has red hair that has been cut in a bob. She wears a blue and white blouse. Vikki Irwin/BBC
Dr Catherine Judkins appreciates battery storage is needed but says they need to be in safe locations

Dr Catherine Judkins is the chairwoman of the Say No to Sunnica community group.

She said some residents were "absolutely petrified" by fires BESS could cause at the 2,500-acre (1,011-hectare) site.

"They burn for many hours, if not days and weeks," Dr Judkins said.

"While they're burning they omit highly toxic emissions over wide areas and have caused, in other cities across the world, mass evacuations."

Plans for Sunnica were approved by the government last July and the proposal included measures to avoid, reduce or mitigate fire risk.

West Suffolk MP Nick Timothy said "the threat of sabotage" at nearby RAF Mildenhall should also be taken into account.

Battery storage is regulated by the Health and Safety Executive, which checks safety measures put in place by operators and installers.

A spokesperson for the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero added: "Every wind turbine we put up, every solar panel we install and every battery storage facility we construct helps protect families from future energy shocks.

"Battery fires at storage sites are rare in the UK.

"We already have high safety standards in place that require manufacturers and industry to ensure batteries are safe throughout their lifespan."

Sunnica was approached for comment.

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