Representation by Chris Davison
- Date submitted
- 27 January 2022
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
Sunnica appear to have little understanding or little regard for the inherent hazard that BESS facilities pose to public health. Sunnica, in my opinion, has the potential to be one of the greatest environmental disasters on record. We understand that the technology is relatively cheap with costs having halved over the last 2 years which is why Sunnica see this as their opportunity to make a huge profit over the short term. One of the guiding principles for BESS facilities is that they should be remote & far away from populated areas. This infrastructure has the potential to affect over 50k residents of West Suffolk & East Cambridgeshire (source: ONS) Lithium-ion battery technology has never been tested on this scale. It is well recognized that the lithium batteries used for storage on solar farms carry a serious risk of fire. The science however is incontrovertible, the more batteries, the greater the risk of fire and explosion. These batteries have the potential to combust causing a thermal runaway incident that can be difficult to control. One of the most disturbing features of battery fires is that they can seemingly ignite or reignite days or weeks after they were understood to be extinguished! In the event of a fire, carcinogenic gasses, namely hydrogen fluoride as well as an even more lethal gas, phosphoryl fluoride are released into the atmosphere & are a danger to all living things. People who do survive after being severely injured by breathing in hydrogen fluoride may suffer lingering chronic lung disease. This could affect up to six miles of the surrounding area. So, who accepts Liability? It’s of little doubt that Sunnica & its investors will ringfence their liability into a single company, which in the event of a significant incident will simply be liquidated. Company director Adrian Mozas has dissolved at least 5 energy companies in the last 3 years. In the event of a catastrophic incident, does Sunnica have the adequate capital solvency to respond? I understand there is a deficit in both capital employed and shareholders funds & their 2020 public accounts show a working capital of -£317,851? The concerns I have are both personal and are likely to impact the wider community. • My wife is [Redacted]. What are the risks to first responders and the public from exposure to toxic fumes, if a fire or other incident were to occur? What would be the environmental impact? • [Redacted] attend the local school which is in close proximity to the sites. Is there a published evacuation plan? How do they plan to evacuate vulnerable less mobile residents? • Have firefighters been invited to the site to perform a planning review. How would firefighters handle a damaged battery that is still charged with power? • How do we balance the loss of arable farming land with the unacceptable risk of death that BESS poses? • Who will ensure maintenance and inspection schedules are being done & service over the lifetime of the project?