UK Parliament Debates National Battery Storage Safety Standards to Boost Deployment of Energy Storage Systems

National Battery Storage Safety Standard to ‘Accelerate’ Deployment

A parliamentary debate today has called for regulatory reforms to establish national safety standards for battery energy storage systems (BESS). Liberal Democrat MP John Milne is leading the discussion, emphasizing that local regulations alone are hindering the green energy transition and jeopardizing community safety.

One prevalent concern among communities when developers propose BESS projects is that the fire risks associated with these technologies overshadow their benefits in facilitating the energy transition. Milne argues that implementing a clear national fire safety standard for BESS would “accelerate, not hinder” the technology’s advancement. To support the UK’s Clean Power 2030 initiative, which aims for the installation of up to 27GW of BESS, Milne stated, “We need these battery storage facilities to make renewable energy work – they’re essential for storing wind and solar power. With government projections showing increased demand for grid energy storage, regulatory gaps must be closed now to ensure they are built safely from the ground up.”

Battery Storage Fire Risks

Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries are the most widely used storage technology in BESS due to their high energy density, efficiency, and long lifecycle. However, safety concerns related to the chemistry’s potential for thermal runaway pose challenges for deployment. According to estimates from the Faraday Institution, lithium-iron-phosphate batteries constituted around 60% of the lithium-ion BESS market in the UK in 2022, attributed to their lower cost and higher efficiency.

Large-scale BESS facilities contain millions of battery cells that can rapidly spread fire if not adequately shielded or insulated. Li-ion batteries are susceptible to thermal runaway, occurring when a battery is damaged or has a manufacturing defect, leading to internal decomposition and heat generation. Without proper cooling, this can culminate in a fire. BESS fires are rare, with only one reported in the UK last year and another in Liverpool in 2020. Nevertheless, the storage industry is committed to ensuring the highest safety standards. Dr. Judy Jeevarajan from UL Research Institutes highlighted in a blog for Energy Storage News that proactive risk management can significantly reduce the likelihood of fires and other catastrophic incidents.

Milne is advocating for local fire services to be mandatory consultees for all industrial-scale battery storage projects, alongside the implementation of essential safety measures. In August 2023, the UK government issued planning guidance urging developers and local planning authorities (LPAs) to consult fire and rescue services on BESS planning applications, though this remains a non-statutory recommendation. The National Fire Chiefs Council has developed a best practice guide for grid-scale BESS fire safety, which the government also directs developers and LPAs to reference.

Frameworks for Ensuring Battery Fire Safety

The UK government asserts that a “robust regulatory framework” governs the components of battery storage systems. This framework requires manufacturers to ensure product safety before market introduction and proper installation, as well as addressing any safety issues that arise post-market. Energy storage trade associations advocate for safety standards, noting that the absence of a unified standard reflects the novelty of energy storage technologies rather than industry reluctance.

The European Association for Storage of Energy (EASE) has been an advocate for a safety standard across Europe, while the American Clean Power Association (ACP) released a BESS safety framework in April this year, detailing key actions and policy recommendations for the industry. In the United States, legal requirements are already in place to ensure developers mitigate fire risks, with New York leading the way. The New York State Inter-Agency Fire Safety Working Group, initiated by Governor Kathy Hochul, responds to concerns about BESS safety and has updated the fire code to balance safety improvements with deployment concerns.

If a similar regulatory standard for BESS were enacted in the UK, it would establish a uniform safety benchmark, alleviating the safety concerns that currently delay LPA decisions.