Industrial battery plan for Norfolk field raises fire safety concerns
The batteries store energy from wind turbines
A field on the outskirts of a small village south of Norwich could be covered in large industrial batteries to store energy from wind turbines.
The facility, which is planned for a 35-acre field in Swardeston, would power homes at times of high demand.
But the scheme has raised concerns about fire safety, ahead of a decision being made by South Norfolk Council (SNC) next Wednesday.
If approved, the project will mean energy generated by Ørsted’s Hornsea Three offshore wind farm can be stored at the new site using lithium-ion batteries.
From there it will be fed into the National Grid on calmer days when turbines are not turning enough.
Hornsea Three was given the go-ahead in 2020 by the secretary of state and includes 230 turbines, 120km off the Norfolk coast.
Swardeston Parish Council said in a letter to SNC it has “grave concerns” with the use of lithium-ion batteries in the scheme, saying there are “growing safety concerns” surrounding the technology being a fire risk.
But Ørsted has always maintained that safety is the company’s highest priority and it has developed its plans in consultation with the local planning authority.
Norfolk Fire Service has also not raised any concerns about the development, telling SNC it does not have any objections.
Planning officials at SNC have recommended the scheme for approval, saying it meets national and local planning policies.
“The principle of development in this location is considered to be acceptable,” they said.
“Whilst the site is currently undeveloped greenfield land, the site is proposed to be developed in combination with the Hornsea Three substation which was approved by the secretary of state.”
The wind farm plan will see cables on the seafloor carry power to the coast at Weybourne.
There it will be transmitted via a huge cable trench, around 35 miles long, to Swardeston and connect to the National Grid and the battery storage.
At 2.4GW and able to power three million homes, Hornsea Three is one of the biggest offshore wind farm projects in the world.