Plans lodged for battery farm on city outskirts

A computer-generated image of a battery energy storage system facility that has received planning permission in Barry, Vale of Glamorgan

New plans have emerged for a battery farm despite concerns about fire risks.

Norfolk County Council has written to energy secretary Ed Miliband asking for training and equipment for fire services to be funded in areas where large battery farms are planned.

Strong objections were received to a battery energy storage system (Bess) in the south of the county, near Diss, leading to plans being withdrawn.

However, a new application has been lodged for a Bess to be built on 18 acres (seven hectares) of farmland, the equivalent of about 12 football pitches, on the southern outskirts of Norwich.

Greenfield Energy Developments has lodged the plans with South Norfolk Council for the site close to the A47, between the village of Keswick and the Harford Park and Ride.

The Bess, on land east of Mulbarton Road, would hold up to 400MW of electricity in 166 containers.

Norfolk could become the biggest solar energy producer in the country if a handful of major schemes go ahead and it is expected that new battery storage sites will be required to support these.

However, Bess proposals have also promted worries about potential fire risks because of the lithium within the batteries, which can cause an explosion when overheated.

County councillors voted overwhelmingly in favour of writing to Mr Miliband about the fire safety concerns, although the Green group warned about "scaremongering".

A Department for Energy Security and Net Zero spokeswoman told the BBC: "Battery fires at storage sites are rare in the UK and we already have high safety standards in place to ensure batteries are safe throughout their lifespan."

The Keswick plans would include a cooling and fire protection system and a fire suppression system.

The Bess could be built on land off Mulbarton Road, near Keswick

The plans state that the energy storage units will be almost 2.9m (9.5ft) in height due to having noise reducing units on top of them.

However, the scheme remains in the early stages and its developers are seeking guidance from South Norfolk Council about the potential environment impact.

Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service has already responded to the plans advising that a series of conditions are put in place, including safe distances between units and the need for an access route for fire vehicles.

The project has emerged after plans for a similar scheme in Rushall, near Diss, were withdrawn without explanation last month amid a host of objections.

That project was for a site five times the size, about 92 acres (37.5 hectares), for 1,035 units which could store up to 900 megawatts of electricity.