Concern is growing - this time among Cavan County Councillors - about proposed battery storage facilities in two locations in the county. Northern Sound previously highlighted the concerns of residents from Shankhill Lower and Pottle, Ballinagh where planning permission has been granted for two battery energy storage systems (BESS) facilities.
Residents recently had a meeting with councillors when they got to explain results of research which shows the storage of batteries worldwide has led to fires, release of flammable gases, thermal runaway and vapour cloud explosions. Now, Aontú Councillor Sarah O'Reilly queries why e-scooters are banned from buses because of risk of fire yet 48 40ft containers of lithium batteries have been granted planning permission in Cavan.
The local general election candidate for Aontú says while councillors and the public are not experts on all the technologies advancing at pace today, she would like to assume the regulators are. Councillor O'Reilly is shocked to find that is not the case and now wants Cavan County Council to write to the Minister for Planning to request legislation for BESS sites:
