Allerton Bywater: Fears of 'devastation' if West Yorkshire battery farms are approved

Harmony Energy and Banks Renewables have each submitted separate planning applications to set up facilities on two plots of land near Allerton Bywater.

If approved, the farms, which take in power from renewable energy sources and then pump it out when demand is high, would each be located on separate sites off Barnsdale Road.

But one local woman said there was “grave concern” about the plans, specifically with regard to the perceived risk of fire linked to such sites.

There are also fears about the impact on wildlife, given their proximity to Fairburn Ings Nature Reserve.

Harmony insisted the technology it uses is “extremely safe” and that more battery farms are needed to help the UK slash its carbon emissions.

But Ali Davies, from nearby Ledston, said local people were “vehement” in their opposition to both schemes.

She has set up a ‘Save Our Villages – Allerton Bywater, Kippax and Ledston’ Facebook group in response to the plans, which has been joined by nearly 400 people.

Ms Davies said: “We completely understand the importance of renewable energy and the need for green sources of energy. However, what we’re objecting to is the significant and devastating impact on our communities these will have if they’re approved.

“Building such a facility in this area will have an undoubted health impact on the wildlife, the ecosystem and the environmental balance in the area. Everyone really cares about this community because it’s a lovely part of the world and we don’t want to see it industrialised. The strength of the backlash has been phenomenal.”

Ms Davies cited concerns raised by the West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service, which has commented on Banks’ application, although not on Harmony Energy’s as yet.

In a repeat of their remarks on a similar proposed scheme near Rothwell earlier this year, the service said: “The risks of vapour cloud, thermal runaway and explosion are unfortunately very real and are becoming more common as we see an increase in the number of BESS (battery energy storage system) installations rise”.

The Fire Service said the lithium in the batteries would make extinguishing a blaze at the site difficult, arguing that firefighters would need “significant amounts of water for a protracted period”.

They added: “If we were to let it burn there would be a significant impact on the highly populated suburbs, which would all be significantly impacted from the vapour/smoke plume.”

In a statement, Harmony Energy said: “We use Lithium-Ion Iron Phosphate (LFP) systems which are extremely safe and have been rigorously fire tested using international safety standards.

“Fire testing of this type of LFP technology has not demonstrated an explosion risk and all systems are fitted with mitigative pressure vents and sparker systems, as well as being monitored 24/7 with internal heat probes and thermal cameras on the perimeter of the site to detect changes of temperature. Any temperature increase will alert the system and it will be shut down.

“Schemes would not be financeable or insurable if they were deemed to be a significant risk, and there are at least 130 utility scale battery systems operating safely in the UK and many thousands more across the globe.”

Banks did not respond to a request for comment. However, announcing their plans for the site in June, they insisted the benefits of battery storage sites “are proven and accepted”, and that the scheme had a “great deal of local support”.