Emergency Response Planning for the Battery Energy Storage System (BESS)
Information for residents and visitors on the safety arrangements for the construction and operational phases of the Cleve Hill Solar Park BESS.
The solar park project delivery team are working on the Emergency Response Plan (ERP) document which specifies how the obligations set out in the Battery Safety Management Plan will be met.
The Construction Emergency Response Team (made up of senior team members of each of the project’s appointed contractors) is responsible for the completion of the ERP. Later in the year, overall responsibility will be formally handed over to the Operational Emergency Response Team.
Two public events held in Graveney Village Hall (late April/early May) welcomed 40 local people with queries about the ERP arrangements. Cleve Hill Solar Park’s battery safety expert and the construction project team leaders were on hand to answer questions.
You can view the information displays from the event here and read or download the Battery Safety Management Plan here.
The project team are working with key contractors and Kent Fire and Rescue Service on the details for inclusion in the ERP documents, which will be for internal use.
In the event of a fire at the BESS, Kent Fire and Rescue will be responsible for managing the emergency service response and fire officers will advise residents on any required action.
Whilst the likelihood of a significant fire in the BESS is extremely low, worst-case scenario modelling assessed by technical specialists Hoare Lea has looked at how air quality would be affected. This shows that a fire or thermal runaway incident in two batteries at the same time would create air pollution limited to a small area within the electrical compound on site.
Anybody more than 29 metres away from the fire would be safe from any significant health impacts from a fire without needing Personal Protection Equipment (PPE). At 29 metres and beyond, gas/fumes would be dispersed to a level which would not impact human health.
Only personnel within 29 metres of such an incident would require PPE.
The BESS is located within the large electrical compound (382 metres x 291 metres), surrounded by a protective bund of 5 metres in height.