Lithium-ion batteries have muscled their way into storage because of superior performance, and the public overlooking overheating problems. These ‘fiery issues’ are negligible in terms of numbers. However, they do represent a growing challenge to manufacturers in the public mind. The battery storage application denied on 1 May, 2023 in Saddlebow, Norfolk England is another case in point.
Details of the Denied Battery Storage Application
The battery storage application was denied at a West Norfolk Council planning meeting, after planning officials recommended it. The design would have included an existing substation, which made the plan financially attractive. It was also adjacent to several existing industrial sites.
However, the 5.4-acre location was on the boundary of green fields, used for agricultural purposes for centuries. This time though, the councillors did not use the environment as their single lever. Instead, they also rejected it on the basis that the giant batteries would be a fire risk, according to local media Norfolk Live.
Several Arguments the Councillors Put Forward
- The battery storage facility will be there for 40 years. We had a bad fire at the nearby paper factory and we don’t want a repetition.
- The proposal to use a classified green field other than for agriculture is against council policy, and case law. It should be resisted.
Reasoning Against Denying the Battery Storage Application
The Cambridge Utility which lodged the application clearly did not agree. Their counter-arguments included:
- The risk of actual fire is very low. The UK already has 116 such operational sites, yet there has only been one such incident.
- Our proposal uses a different, more stable type of lithium-ion battery, compared to that involved in the single incident.
However, the councillors were unmoved by that logic. The majority denied the battery storage application on the grounds it harmed the existing landscape, and potentially impacted on watercourses and public safety.
More Information
Giant New Batteries Sprout in a Green Field
