Latest news with #Rushall
BBC News
27-05-2025
- BBC News
Norfolk MP seeks assurances over safety of Rushall battery farm
The Green Party co-leader said he wanted to know how fire risks could be managed if plans for one of Europe's largest battery storage sites were want to install more than a thousand battery containers on land on the outskirts of the small village of Rushall, near Diss in the company behind the plan - Elmya - has said safety measures will be in place, residents fear the site could catch Adrian Ramsay – whose Waveney Valley constituency includes Rushall – said he did not "want to scaremonger" but would be meeting with Norfolk's fire chief to discuss their concerns. Battery energy storage systems (BESS) are used to hold electricity generated by renewables like solar and wind farms, which can then be put into the grid when the lithium used in the batteries can cause explosions if it overheats.A fire at a small BESS site in Liverpool in 2020 took fire crews 59 hours to extinguish, whilst a blaze at a huge site in California was left to burn on the advice of fire experts. Ramsay said he would speak to Norfolk's chief fire officer about the proposed site at Rushall, as well as one that would be part of the East Pye solar said he wanted to know how fire risks could be managed and assessed, and how fire crews might access remote, countryside sites:"I don't want to scaremonger on that at all, but I do take the questions residents are raising seriously." Asher Minns, from the Tyndall Centre For Climate Research at the University of East Anglia, said data on BESS sites across the world "wasn't great" but he believed the risk of fire was "very low"."There's better [safety] guidelines coming out all the time," he – which has yet to submit its plans for the site at Rushall – said it would have "advanced monitoring, early fire detection, and suppression systems".Development director James Innes insisted the project's safety was "paramount" and the company would be "following National Fire Chiefs Council guidance".A Norfolk Fire and Rescue spokesperson said: "We continue to proactively work with site designers and operators of battery energy storage systems to help them improve both their site designs, and the accessibility for firefighting. "This is to reduce and mitigate for the likelihood of any fire on their premises." Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
BBC News
23-05-2025
- BBC News
Norfolk villagers 'losing sleep' over battery farm plan
Villagers said they were "losing sleep" over plans for one of the UK's largest battery storage Energy wants to house batteries in more than 1,000 containers on farmland at Rushall near Diss, councillor Lisa Buck said she was concerned there was "a high risk" the facility – which would store power generated by wind and solar farms – could catch – which has yet to submit its plans for the Dodd's Wood site – said it would have "advanced monitoring, early fire detection, and suppression systems". Battery energy storage systems (BESS) are used to stockpile excess energy from renewables and then release it when the power is needed electricity is held inside Lithium-ion batteries which are housed in structures similar to shipping containers. With a growing number of solar projects proposed – including a number of "mega-farms" in Norfolk – more storage is needed for the energy they concerns are being increasingly raised about potential fire risks, because of the lithium within the batteries, which can cause an explosion when it overheats.A fire at a small BESS site in Liverpool in 2020 took fire crews 59 hours to extinguish, whilst a blaze at a huge site in California was left to burn on the advice of fire experts. Buck said people in Rushall had been "terrified" and were losing sleep since being told of the plans for land on the outskirts of their village."There's a high risk of them catching fire." Fellow villager Nigel Webber said he "wanted to be able to support" a renewable energy project, but was deeply concerned about how emergency services could access such a development in a remote area."We're talking about one of the most dangerous, volatile, reactive elements on the planet." Spain-based Elmya said the Dodd's Wood site would be able to store enough power for 60,000 homes for up to three days and "would make a significant contribution to energy security"With 900MW capacity and batteries housed in 1,035 large containers, it would be significantly bigger than existing sites like the Drax facility in director James Innes insisted the project's safety was "paramount" and the company would be "following National Fire Chiefs Council guidance".He added the company had sought feedback from 1,140 homes."We are now reviewing that feedback in order to create the final design of our scheme ahead of submitting a planning application." Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
