By Dan Goater

One of the largest battery storage facilities in the world will be built just outside Weymouth after the controversial proposal got the go ahead.
Dorset councillors approved Statera Energy’s plan to begin building the Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) at East Chickerell Court Farm, south of Coldharbour.
The facility will include some 600 batteries, comprised of 2.5million lithium ion cells, which can store up to 400mw of power. The BESS is designed to feed stored electricity back into the National Grid whenever it is needed.
Despite local opposition to the plans – with opponents saying it would be “dangerous” and pointing to 40 fires at similar facilities worldwide – councillors voted 6-2 in favour of granting permission.
People fear fires at the site creating toxic smoke. However before voting councillors noted neither the fire service nor the Environment Agency had registered any objection.
In a design and access statement, the developers noted opponents had commented: “This is not acceptable in this area, it’s dangerous. Find somewhere else away from a busy town.”
Another had said: “What is actually going to happen to all the surrounding residents when it goes wrong?”
Opponents pointed to a fire at a ‘relatively small’ BESS in Liverpool in 2020, which burned for 11 hours.
But the planning statement said each of the battery units at the site will be of an “exceptionally high quality,” having been tested to “underwater laboratory” standards. The battery units will have individual fire suppression and monitoring systems, and there are four large containers of water on site in case of a fire.
In a submission to the council, Statera said it wanted to develop the facility at Chickerell because of its proximity to an electricity sub-station. The company said: “The government considers that larger capacity BESS developments are crucial to meeting the country’s overall net zero 2050 target, as well as its target to decarbonise the power system by 2035, which will require a substantial growth in renewable energy generation, along with electricity storage to balance the intermittent generation from renewables, and stability services to keep the national grid stable.
“In summer months on bright, windy days it is not uncommon for too much electricity to be generated (through renewable means), whereas on cloudy wind-less days in winter months there may be a shortfall.
“In each case, National Grid, acting as the system operator, will need to take balancing actions to ensure that supply meets demand. Battery storage facilities can support this constant need for balancing.
“The location next to Chickerell substation presents the opportunity to secure precisely the right sort of grid connection offer, allowing import and export for the battery system.”
The company added: “There is no question that these developments are in the national – and global – interest.”
Ahead of the council meeting where permission was granted, opponent John Paton had written to the authority to express his dismay at the proposal.
He wrote: “Fire suppression is mentioned, but the truth is that once thermal runaway has commenced there is no stopping it. In this regard it has some similarities with nuclear fission. All manufacturers continue to experience lithium battery failures and indeed fires.
“A characteristic of these fires is the extreme rapidity with which they initiate.”
He continued: “There is no justification for the implied expectation that one hour of thermal insulation alone would be sufficient to reliably prevent fire spreading between containers. These fires normally ‘burn’ for between 6 and 12 hours.
“It remains my belief therefore that, in the event of even a simple fire, there is a very high probability that fire will spread given the very dense packing of cells within the container.”