Developers must address locals’ key concerns if the battery energy storage industry is to progress, Harmony Energy CEO Peter Kavanagh has said.
In a blog for our sister site Energy-Storage.news, Kavanagh wrote that while battery energy storage systems (BESS) offer significant national and global benefits, “it is equally important to support the local communities around these sites”.
“Initiatives such as biodiversity enhancements, community funds, charity and event sponsorships, and other opportunities introduced by developers can help communities thrive alongside projects.”
To make a site financially viable, BESS must be built near substations to reduce cost, which has the added advantage of keeping energy infrastructure grouped together without impacting the wider landscape.
Making yourself visible to addressing concerns is key to the progression of the industry, Kavanagh said. Explaining the reasons behind site locations, and clarifying decision-making made when implementing new developments is one way to assuage concerns a community might have about a BESS being built near them.
Kavanagh also suggested events such as public consultations, community engagement opportunities and site tours as ways to ensure local support.
Another barrier developers come up against are (often inflated) safety concerns. Kavanagh said Harmony Energy has, “from the outset”, committed to ensuring the security of both our operational teams and the surrounding communities through maintaining high standards of health and safety.
As such, throughout the planning process developers should demonstrate the stringent safety measures taken at any given development.
Kavanagh added: “Ensuring the safety of BESS projects must be a top priority, and with the industry having over 140 UK BESS sites operating safely and thousands live across the globe, it’s essential developers and operators continue to build trust with communities.”
Peter Kavanagh’s blog is available in full on Energy-Storage.news.
