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Highland battery energy storage plant plan sparks fire safety concerns in Ross-shire community





An artist's impression of the battery storage plant (bottom of image) before additional planting to provide further screening.
An artist's impression of the battery storage plant (bottom of image) before additional planting to provide further screening.

Fire safety calls have been made by a worried community amid plans for a 200MW battery storage power plant nearby.

Field Corriemoillie Ltd has lodged a section 36 application with Highland Council to build the energy storage facility on land 200 metres north-east of the operational Corriemoillie substation and a little under five kilometres north-west of Garve.

Section 36 applications are lodged for power plants and infrastructure with capacities above 50MW in size and are ultimately decided by Scottish ministers rather than councils.

The proposal to build the battery storage plant on the 18.3 hectare site has sparked some concerns among Garve and District Community Council, which has submitted a response as a statutory consultee.

And although it has not openly objected to the application at this stage, it has raised worries over fire protection measures related to the batteries, especially given its setting in an area with woodland.

In a response submitted to Highland Council, the community council said: “Garve & District Community Council have considered this planning application which will be in our area and the applicant has attended our meetings in recent months to take questions and explain various issues which we are grateful for but we still have the following concerns.

“There is no fire safety plan. We feel this should be in place before the site becomes operational and would suggest this be a condition if consented. We would suggest the plan should be agreed with the applicant, landowner, Scottish Fire Service and the local planning authority. We would suggest the plan includes run off should water or chemicals be needed to put a fire out.

“We also feel an environmental impact assessment should be done as the technology is still relatively new so any possible impact on the local wildlife and land can be given due consideration.”

Although the community council has raised concerns over fire safety and claimed that no fire safety plan is in place, documents lodged with the application include reports that discuss that subject.

There is a drawing detailing the location of ditches with ponds collecting surface water, as well as surface water pipes diverting surface water to a nearby "attenuation basin".

And there is also a report entitled "outline battery safety management plan" that includes discussion on fires.

However, it also states that Field Corriemoillie “will” produce an emergency response plan before construction “in close consultation” with the fire service, rather than “has” - suggesting that one specifically targeted at the site will be prepared but is not yet in place.

The document said: “This Outline Battery Safety Management Plan sets out the key safety management features and principles adhered to as part of the design for the Proposed Development. The plan will be further developed and agreed in consultation with the [local fire and rescue service] and other relevant stakeholders prior to the commencement of construction.”

It added that the site’s layout adheres to UK industry standards and best practice, and that it will only use a battery storage manufacturer that does likewise.

It also promised “appropriate separation” between the batteries and also nearby flammable material such as trees and buildings to prevent any fire spreading, as well as safe and wide access routes that can handle emergency vehicles. There will also be on-site drainage facilities in the event of a fire that are designed to store ”potentially contaminated fire water run-off from any perimeter cooling to prevent dispersion into the wider environment”;

It continued: “The plan establishes that fire safety has been embedded into the overall design of the Proposed Development from the outset to firstly minimise the risk of a fire event occurring, and then further reduce the impact of such an event should it occur.

“It is demonstrated that through the implementation of the fire safety prevention, management and emergency response measures outlined in this plan, fire safety risk has been reduced to as low as reasonably practicable.”


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