Firm bids to build electricity battery storage facility near Ironbridge nature site
An energy firm wants to build a large electricity battery storage facility on land next to a protected nature site near Ironbridge.
The proposal, for land off Buildwas Bank, Coalbrookdale, comes from Lower Coalmoor BESS, and has been submitted to Telford & Wrekin Council.
The field site sits off Jiggers Bank and the A4169, and next to the Lydebrook Dingle site of special scientific interest (SSSI).
The firm behind the plan says the facility would store up to 50mw of electricity – to come into play when there are shortages in supply, that could lead to power cuts.
A number of local residents have submitted objections to the plans, raising concerns about its proximity to a protected environment, its impact on the way the landscape looks and the potential for a fire involving the batteries.
They argue any fire could spread to the nearby SSSI, while contaminated water from any clean-up operation could run into the protected site.
Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) has said "extra measures" may be required as part of the development.
A submission from SFRS said: "Even though there are relatively few recorded fire incidents involving battery energy storage systems (BESSs), when affected by fire, they pose a significant environmental and safety hazard.
"Further measures may be required to mitigate the risk of fire and the risk posed to the environment in the event of a fire.
"This may include compensatory features to limit the run-off of contaminated water into nearby waterways."
The applicants have addressed fire safety in the submission and said that the site would use liquid-cooled cube stacks.
It said testing on the system had shown where fires took place they were limited to one cell and did not spread to other cubes.
It added that the cells would be monitored for temperature, gas and smoke, with detection automatically triggering aerosol fire suppression.
The plans for the site show it would be accessed from the A4169.
In a planning statement submitted with the proposal, Lower Coalmoor BESS said it had looked a number of other sites for the development.
They included a site on the north west side of Upper Coalmoor Farm at Moreton Coppice, Telford, land on the east side of Coalmoor Lane, Coalmoor, land at Leasowes Farm in Little Wenlock, and land at Strethill Farm in Coalbrookdale.
The statement said the site was selected because it has a connection to the grid with an existing pylon.
It adds that while the firm accepts it will affect the appearance of the area it would not constitute reasons to turn the proposal down.
The proposal states the site would have a lifespan of 40 years.
A decision will be taken by Telford & Wrekin Council at a later date.
