Countryside in the firing line of energy storage units - but how safe are they?

WITH SO MANY APPLICATIONS FOR SOLAR FARMS, CAMPAIGNERS SAY THERE IS A RISK OF FIRE FROM THE CONNECTED BATTERY STORAGE FACILITIES

- BY JAMIE WALLER Local Democracy Reporter

TO some, battery farms are the next natural step in the move towards renewable energy technology, but campaigners insist they are a disaster waiting to happen.

Battery energy storage systems (or BESSs), as they're technically known, are likely to become an increasingly common sight in Lincolnshire.

Dozens or even hundreds of batteries can be housed on the same site, placed in containers which are usually around six metres long and three metres high. Whereas fossil fuel power stations used to produce energy around the clock, renewable energy can be intermittent depending on the weather.

Battery farms can store surplus energy and release it to the grid when it's needed. They can be included alongside large-scale solar farms, or built separately.

Plans have been submitted recently for 1,300 batteries near the village of Coleby, and 200 close to Navenby, close to planned grid connections. With fierce debates already being had about the future of solar power in county battery farms are likely to come under closer scrutiny.

What are campaigners worried about?

The most common fear they have are fires - particularly catastrophic ones known as 'thermal runaways,' where chemical reactions in the lithium-ion batteries create heat quicker than it can be cooled. This can occur if the batteries are damaged, malfunction or overheat.