UK BESS Bill Aims to Improve Fire Safety Standard

The adoption of BESS technology is of paramount importance to hitting net zero targets and facilitating the renewable energy transition as a whole. However, there are still significant safety concerns surrounding the technology – especially from local communities where BESS sites are located or planned. A few high-profile incidents where BESS sites featuring powerful lithium-ion batteries have experienced fires and explosions are fuelling these concerns. It should be noted that such incidents are very rare. The challenge facing BESS developers has also been compounded further by the lack of clear fire safety regulations and guidance from governments and local planning authorities, leading to many projects being delayed or canceled due to fire safety concerns and unanswered questions. If these challenges are not tackled soon, we risk falling short of the BESS adoption targets – and potentially holding back the renewable energy transition.

In response, a number of authorities around the world have started to introduce more transparent fire safety regulations and guidance. The UK is one of the first to introduce—subject to House of Commons approval—comprehensive BESS fire safety regulations. If introduced, the UK’s Energy Storage Systems (Fire Safety) Bill could act as a regulatory blueprint that other countries can follow and help to increase fire safety standards across the industry more broadly.

What’s included in the UK’s BESS bill?

The bill – first introduced by Liberal Democrat MP Anna Sabine in October 2024 – is currently at the 2^nd reading stage in the House of Commons. This means the exact details of what will be included in the bill are limited.

However, we know that while the bill will predominately focus on regulating the use of lithium-ion batteries within consumer goods, it will also introduce a range of fire safety planning regulations for BESS projects. Such proposals include:

The bill will essentially build upon the UK’s current Planning Practice Guidance (PPG) that encourages developers of any BESS project of 1MWh or over “to engage with the relevant local fire and rescue service before submitting an application to the local planning authority.” Once in force, the bill will provide much-needed clarity for BESS developers, whose projects are often delayed—and sometimes canceled—due to a lack of clear guidance around fire safety standards. The bill could also act as a blueprint for other jurisdictions to follow.

While details are limited, and the bill is unlikely to come into force until the end of 2025 at the earliest, BESS developers should take several steps to prepare for its introduction. 

How can developers prepare for the UK’s BESS bill?

To prepare for the introduction of the UK’s BESS bill and other BESS fire safety regulations globally, developers and owners should take the following steps:

There’s no doubt that BESS sites are critical to solving the wind and solar intermittency challenge and accelerating the renewable energy transition. But, as it stands, the lack of clear and comprehensive fire safety regulations is causing numerous BESS projects to be delayed or canceled – holding back the energy transition toward renewable sources. The UK BESS bill—if approved—will provide much-needed clarity around BESS fire safety standards, help to accelerate project development, and enable the UK to reach the 1.5TW of energy storage that is needed by 2030. Developers should now consider the proposed regulation in the UK, which will ease the pathway to compliance when it eventually becomes law. Early movers may also benefit from lighter opposition from local communities if fire safety measures are clearly set out and explained by local fire services and Authorities Having Jurisdiction (AHJs) control.