Latest news with #PeterDobson
Glasgow Times
23-07-2025
- Business
- Glasgow Times
Oxford professors join opposition of battery storage site
A Clydebank councillor, together with local campaigners and academics from the University of Oxford, has submitted formal objections to the proposed Battery Energy Storage Site (BESS) at Braidfield Farm. After initial concerns were raised over the plan for a 100 MW Energy Storage facility submitted by Intelligent Land Investments Limited (ILI), Councillor William Rooney reached out to professors Peter Dobson and Peter Edwards at the University of Oxford. The proposals are being considered by the Scottish Government Energy Consents Unit (ECU) and have received, to date, a total of 315 public representations have been submitted, 24 in support and 291 in objection. In addition, an online petition titled Say NO to battery storage facility in Braidfield, Clydebank has gathered more than 1,360 signatures. William Rooney, Kilpatrick Councillor, said: 'I find it deeply unsettling that the site is located less than a quarter of a mile from local businesses, residential areas and St Peter the Apostle High School. 'I'm encouraged to see our concerns legitimised by renowned experts from the University of Oxford. 'It's clear that regulations are not keeping pace with technology. I'm worried that if this isn't addressed, it could lead to a serious incident.' READ NEXT: Council respond to concerns over missing alpacas at Glasgow Children's Farm READ NEXT: This is the plan for this iconic Glasgow city centre building Proposals for the site. (Image: Newsquest staff) Professors Peter Dobson and Peter Edwards claim that the consultation from the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) had "many flaws" and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) was "simply complacent" in their response. Additionally, they suggest that the plan should fall under the Control of Major Accident Hazards (COMAH) regulations due to the supposed instability of lithium-ion batteries. (Image: Supplied) The ILI Group, in response, have said that if the Health and Safety Executive raised any concerns at all in relation to this development, then they "simply would not proceed." SEPA say they do not have a remit to regulate BESS site operation; however, they are a statutory consultee in the application. Craig Hughes, a local campaigner against the site, said: "If this is approved by the Scottish Government, then expect two years of traffic disruption on Kilbowie Road and Hardgate due to a construction traffic management plan involving slow-moving vehicles. 'Not to mention the extensive roadworks between Hardgate and Windyhill substation, which will involve digging up miles and miles of roads to lay the cables'. 'If you think the traffic is chaotic now, brace yourself.' In regard to traffic concerns and community disruption, the ILI Group say that the council's road department raised no objections. They say they are "committed" to working closely with West Dunbartonshire Council and relevant transport authorities to implement a Construction Traffic Management Plan when traffic is higher than usual towards the end of the construction period. West Dunbartonshire Council planning committee is expected to be discussing a report in August as a statutory consultee. A spokesperson from ILI Group said: "We acknowledge the objections raised by local representatives, campaigners, and academics regarding the proposed Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) in Clydebank, and we appreciate the opportunity to address these concerns directly and constructively. "The UK Government has reviewed the regulatory framework for Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) facilities recently, and specifically at the suggestion of academics, into whether these should be included under the Control of Major Accident Hazards (COMAH) regulations. "The government, along with the Health and Safety Executive, concluded that it did not." The spokesperson continued: "ILI said at the outset that if the Health and Safety Executive raised any concerns at all in relation to this development, then we simply would not proceed. In fact, this important regulatory body has been consulted by the Scottish Government for this proposed development and raised 'no objection'." A spokesperson for the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) said: 'SEPA provides independent and evidence-based advice directly to planning authorities and Scottish Ministers to inform their decisions. 'Our remit with regards to BESS sites is limited to our role as a statutory consultee at planning stage and our role in regulating construction, water discharges and abstractions. 'We have published information and advice on various matters which relate to our remit. Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) do not fall within the Pollution Prevention and Control (PPC) regulations or Control of Major Accident Hazards (COMAH) regulations. "This means SEPA does not have a remit to regulate BESS site operation. 'Our consultation response, dated 11 February 2025, covers our regulatory role in regard to pollution prevention and flood risk management. SEPA is a statutory consultee, and the final decision on this application will be taken by the Energy Consents Unit. 'We recognise that there are potential environmental impacts associated with BESS. We will continue to work with planning authorities through the Heads of Planning Groups, directly with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) and with the Scottish Government.' A HSE spokesperson said: 'Battery energy storage systems are covered by a robust regulatory framework which applies regardless of the size of the facility. 'The fundamental principle of health and safety law is that those who create risks are best placed to control them. 'Designers, installers, and operators all have a duty to ensure this is the case. 'We expect the duty holder to assess the specific situation and implement necessary control measures.' This is now the second proposed battery storage unit in Clydebank. In 2023, Green energy firm Apatura lodged plans for a battery storage farm at Cochno Farm in Faifley, on the outskirts of the town. This proposal remains ongoing.
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Racing could be next victim of net-zero battery obsession
'Newmarket should prepare for an emergency evacuation of its 3,000-horse population and human residents if the neighbouring 77-acre Battery Energy Storage System [BESS] goes ahead.' That is the opinion of Professor Peter Dobson OBE, Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford and three other eminent chemistry and physics professors. Dobson added that 'far too little attention has been given to the safety issues of these potentially hazardous installations being situated close to residences and animals'. Given the number of recent fires and explosions at lithium-ion battery storage systems in the UK and around the world, the professors' alarm is hardly surprising. Lithium-ion batteries are 'inherently unstable' and are prone to a phenomenon called 'thermal runaway'. The result is a self-propagating fire which takes days to extinguish and belches out toxins over a wide area, not to mention the firewater run-off which has the capacity to poison an entire aquifer. This year alone there have been fires at BESS sites in Aberdeenshire, Gloucestershire and Essex in the UK. The biggest fire in January was in California that took three days to extinguish after residents within a three-mile radius had been evacuated. It was the fifth fire in four years at the same site. Days later there was a serious fire near Melbourne, Australia that took 70 firefighters to extinguish. A day after that, in Galway, Ireland, firefighters were hospitalised by toxic fumes and 1,300 people were evacuated at a lithium-ion battery fire. But as a direct result of energy secretary Ed Miliband's reckless and futile race to net-zero carbon, our economy is being trashed and the safety of everyone living in the vicinity of a BESS facility is being wilfully swept under the carpet. Miliband is well aware that there are currently no government regulations being applied to ensure the safe manufacture, installation, operation and decommissioning of lithium-ion battery facilities. There is also no legislation preventing the use of second-life lithium-ion batteries which pose an even greater safety risk. Should such regulations exist, one would imagine that they would stipulate that explosion-prone BESS facilities should not be placed above high-pressure gas mains, as is the case with the proposed BESS site next to Newmarket. Miliband passed this development in spite of the Planning Inspectorate turning it down. Not surprisingly, he has now passed the buck to Cambridge and Suffolk county councils. They will have to decide, without the guidance of any government regulations, whether this scheme is safe. And my guess is that they will not have the expertise or resources to make a sound, or indeed safe, decision. In addition to the danger this BESS facility holds for Newmarket, there are three wider moral issues that the councils should not turn a blind eye to, even if they are way out of their depth. The first is that these BESS sites are required because we are increasingly reliant on unpredictable renewable power that is not guaranteed to create enough electricity when it is needed Secondly, there is a question of the morality of these facilities, which will buy cheap electricity off the National Grid, store it at times of peak output and then resell it back to the Grid at a higher price. There is also another more poignant moral issue. About 70 per cent of all BESS units and components are made in China, where they care not how the electricity is generated during the manufacturing process. Add to that the environmental damage created by mining lithium and the lack of recycling centres anywhere in the world for these batteries. Given that it is two to three times more expensive to recover the rare metals from the batteries than mine more, it is clear the environmental damage caused by their production will only increase. In effect, we are simply exporting our climate-change impact across the world to meet a spurious target. The councils may also wish to consider the possibility that forced labour is used to create them. Government assurances that the Uyghur people are not being exploited by the Chinese to produce goods for the UK are nothing more than empty, weasel words. There is also the security issue of covering our best agricultural land with Chinese hardware. It would be ludicrous not to assume that the Chinese government will be permeating these batteries with microchips obedient to Beijing. So how is that going to play out? The experts believe that 'there is a growing suspicion that details [of BESS fires] are being suppressed'. In layman's terms, lithium-ion battery failures could well be the biggest environmental disaster this country has ever witnessed. Especially if you locate them near gas mains! Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
14-04-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Racing could be next victim of net-zero battery obsession
'Newmarket should prepare for an emergency evacuation of its 3,000-horse population and human residents if the neighbouring 77-acre Battery Energy Storage System [BESS] goes ahead.' That is the opinion of Professor Peter Dobson OBE, Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford and three other eminent chemistry and physics professors. Dobson added that 'far too little attention has been given to the safety issues of these potentially hazardous installations being situated close to residences and animals'. Given the number of recent fires and explosions at lithium-ion battery storage systems in the UK and around the world, the professors' alarm is hardly surprising. Lithium-ion batteries are 'inherently unstable' and are prone to a phenomenon called 'thermal runaway'. The result is a self-propagating fire which takes days to extinguish and belches out toxins over a wide area, not to mention the firewater run-off which has the capacity to poison an entire aquifer. This year alone there have been fires at BESS sites in Aberdeenshire, Gloucestershire and Essex in the UK. The biggest fire in January was in California that took three days to extinguish after residents within a three-mile radius had been evacuated. It was the fifth fire in four years at the same site. NET ZERO - Scotland. Fire crews are tackling a large blaze after a battery recycling plant in North Ayrshire was engulfed by flames. Explosions' cause 'panic and terror' as battery recycling plant engulfed by fire in Scotland. Oh… — Bernie (@Artemisfornow) April 9, 2025 Days later there was a serious fire near Melbourne, Australia that took 70 firefighters to extinguish. A day after that, in Galway, Ireland, firefighters were hospitalised by toxic fumes and 1,300 people were evacuated at a lithium-ion battery fire. But as a direct result of energy secretary Ed Miliband's reckless and futile race to net-zero carbon, our economy is being trashed and the safety of everyone living in the vicinity of a BESS facility is being wilfully swept under the carpet. Miliband is well aware that there are currently no government regulations being applied to ensure the safe manufacture, installation, operation and decommissioning of lithium-ion battery facilities. There is also no legislation preventing the use of second-life lithium-ion batteries which pose an even greater safety risk. Should such regulations exist, one would imagine that they would stipulate that explosion-prone BESS facilities should not be placed above high-pressure gas mains, as is the case with the proposed BESS site next to Newmarket. Miliband passed this development in spite of the Planning Inspectorate turning it down. Not surprisingly, he has now passed the buck to Cambridge and Suffolk county councils. They will have to decide, without the guidance of any government regulations, whether this scheme is safe. And my guess is that they will not have the expertise or resources to make a sound, or indeed safe, decision. In addition to the danger this BESS facility holds for Newmarket, there are three wider moral issues that the councils should not turn a blind eye to, even if they are way out of their depth. The first is that these BESS sites are required because we are increasingly reliant on unpredictable renewable power that is not guaranteed to create enough electricity when it is needed Secondly, there is a question of the morality of these facilities, which will buy cheap electricity off the National Grid, store it at times of peak output and then resell it back to the Grid at a higher price. There is also another more poignant moral issue. About 70 per cent of all BESS units and components are made in China, where they care not how the electricity is generated during the manufacturing process. Add to that the environmental damage created by mining lithium and the lack of recycling centres anywhere in the world for these batteries. Given that it is two to three times more expensive to recover the rare metals from the batteries than mine more, it is clear the environmental damage caused by their production will only increase. In effect, we are simply exporting our climate-change impact across the world to meet a spurious target. The councils may also wish to consider the possibility that forced labour is used to create them. Government assurances that the Uyghur people are not being exploited by the Chinese to produce goods for the UK are nothing more than empty, weasel words. There is also the security issue of covering our best agricultural land with Chinese hardware. It would be ludicrous not to assume that the Chinese government will be permeating these batteries with microchips obedient to Beijing. So how is that going to play out? The experts believe that 'there is a growing suspicion that details [of BESS fires] are being suppressed'.
