The push toward renewable energy is reshaping infrastructure across the globe — but it is also raising urgent new questions about safety. A recent BBC News investigation highlights growing concerns over the risks posed by battery energy storage systems (BESS).
Fires That Shocked Communities
Lithium-ion batteries — the same technology found in laptops and electric vehicles — are now being deployed at an unprecedented scale to store renewable energy.
But recent incidents underline the potential dangers:
- California, January 2025: A major fire at Moss Landing led to evacuations of around 1,500 residents
- Essex, February 2024: A BESS fire took almost 24 hours to extinguish
- Liverpool, 2020: A storage facility burned for 59 hours
Each involved thermal runaway, where heat triggers a chain reaction inside battery cells, releasing more heat — sometimes explosively.
While fire risk is well documented, one critical issue is often overlooked:
What happens to contaminated runoff after the fire is brought under control.
Firefighting water, combined with damaged battery materials, can create a highly contaminated flow. Rainfall on affected sites can then continue to wash pollutants into drainage systems long after the incident itself.
This is where many current safety strategies remain incomplete.
A Technology Expanding at Speed
Battery storage is not slowing down.
Europe installed 21.9 GWh of capacity in 2024 alone, and projections suggest a tenfold increase is needed by 2030 to meet climate targets.
This expansion is essential — without storage, renewable energy cannot be used efficiently.
But as deployment accelerates, so too must infrastructure resilience.
As one policymaker put it, communities are increasingly concerned that systems are being deployed faster than the safeguards designed to protect them.
Public Concern and Local Resistance
Local opposition to BESS developments is growing, particularly where sites are located close to homes or sensitive environments.
Residents are not just concerned about fire — but about flooding, pollution, and long-term environmental risk.
And this is where the conversation is beginning to shift.
It is no longer enough to demonstrate that a fire can be controlled.
Operators are increasingly expected to show that any resulting contamination can also be contained.
Alternatives Exist — But Risk Remains
While alternative storage technologies such as cryogenic systems and hydropower reservoirs are being explored, lithium-ion batteries remain the most practical solution at scale.
That reality changes the question:
It is not how to avoid BESS — but how to manage the risks properly when incidents occur.
Beyond the Fire: The Overlooked Environmental Risk
Fires at BESS facilities can release:
- Toxic gases
- Heavy metals
- Chemical contaminants
These do not simply disappear once flames are extinguished.
Instead, they often enter:
- Surface water systems
- Drainage networks
- Surrounding soil and groundwater
Once pollutants leave a site boundary, remediation becomes complex, costly — and in many cases, incomplete.
This is why leading guidance increasingly points toward containment at source as a critical control measure.
The Regulatory Gap
A key issue highlighted in the BBC report is the lack of consistent standards.
There is currently no unified framework across Europe governing the design, maintenance, and environmental protection of BESS sites.
This creates uncertainty for:
- Operators
- Regulators
- Local communities
And it leaves a gap between fire safety planning and environmental protection strategy.
That gap is where many of the highest risks sit.
Sandfield Penstock Solutions’ Perspective
At Sandfield Penstock Solutions, we see strong parallels between BESS risks and the challenges long addressed in industrial pollution control.
Both involve low-probability, high-impact events — where failure to act quickly can have lasting consequences.
When a battery fire occurs, the visible hazard is the fire itself.
But the longer-term risk is the movement of contaminated water through drainage systems.
Crucially:
- It is not just firefighting water that carries risk
- Rainfall on a damaged site can continue spreading contamination
- Pollution can travel off-site within minutes if not contained
This is why containment must be engineered into the site from the outset, not retrofitted after an incident or regulatory intervention.
In many industrial sectors, this approach is already aligned with Best Available Techniques (BAT) principles — where pollution prevention is built into infrastructure design.
Applying the same thinking to BESS sites is a logical and necessary next step.
Building Containment into BESS Design
Effective containment strategies typically include:
- Automated shut-off valves that isolate drainage systems immediately during an incident
- Monitoring systems that detect contamination in real time
- Stand-alone operation, ensuring systems function even during power loss
- Integration with fire and environmental alarms for rapid response
Solutions such as ToggleBlok® are designed to deliver this level of protection — automatically isolating drainage networks in seconds, without reliance on manual intervention.
For designers and operators, this provides a practical way to close the gap between fire response and environmental protection.
A Critical Layer of Risk Management
Integrating pollution containment into BESS infrastructure offers several key benefits:
- Prevents contaminants leaving site boundaries
- Supports compliance with environmental regulations and guidance
- Reduces clean-up costs and liability exposure
- Protects surrounding ecosystems and communities
- Strengthens planning applications and stakeholder confidence
In many cases, it also helps avoid incidents escalating into reportable environmental events — a growing concern for operators and regulators alike.
Looking Ahead: Balancing Progress and Protection
Battery storage is essential to achieving a renewable future. That is not in question.
But the incidents seen in California, Essex, and Liverpool highlight a critical reality:
Without robust safeguards, the risks are significant.
The path forward must include:
- Stronger, more consistent regulation
- Improved fire safety systems
- Transparent community engagement
- Clear end-of-life strategies
- And critically — integrated pollution containment from day one
Planning for Safer Energy Infrastructure
The transition to renewable energy is accelerating, and BESS will play a central role.
The challenge now is ensuring that safety systems evolve at the same pace.
For developers, consultants, and operators, this means taking a holistic view of risk — one that considers not just fire, but everything that follows it.
At Sandfield Penstock Solutions, we work with project teams to support this approach — helping integrate containment strategies that protect both operations and the environment.
If you are involved in the design, approval, or operation of a BESS facility, it may be worth reviewing how your site manages post-incident contamination risk — and whether additional safeguards could strengthen your overall resilience.
