On Tuesday 5 June, Parliament debated the need for increased regulatory safety in relation to lithium-ion battery energy storage systems (BESSs)
Led by the Liberal Democrat MP for Horsham, John Milne, the debate focused on the risks posed by BESS fires, particularly the difficulty in controlling or extinguishing a thermal runaway event, toxic emissions from smoke and vapour clouds, and environmental contamination as a result of both the smoke and from potential water runoff.
Milne explained that the purpose of the debate was to emphasise the importance of clear, consistent guidelines to ensure public safety and support the renewable energy industry's growth.
The debate noted that BESS fires were rare, but examples from Liverpool in 2020 and Essex in 2025, as well as internationally, highlighted the issues arising from fires on these sites. Speaking of the dangers posed of contamination, Mike Wood, Conservative MP for Kingswinford and South Staffordshire said, "When these fires run for 24 or 48 hours and millions of gallons of water are used to bring them under control, the chemical run-off has to go somewhere, and sadly many of these applications—including those in my constituency—are for sites near to our rivers and canals."
Fellow Conservative, Bradley Thomas, the MP for Bromsgrove also raised concerns over the impact BESS sites and potential for fires might have on agricultural land, which he called “an irreplaceable national asset”.
Looking at the existing regulations, Kirsty Blackman (Aberdeen North, SNP) explained that “there are no laws that specifically govern the fire safety of battery energy storage systems”, and that the House of Commons Library briefing for the debate said there were no specific health and safety laws relating to BESSs.
Nick Timothy (West Suffolk, Con) also highlighted that "Fire services have no legal power to enforce safety measures on battery sites”, and stated: “We need legislation and residents need a say." ?
Reinforcing this point Milne said that "Fire and rescue services have not been made statutory consultees for planning applications.? The current guidance states that applicants are ‘encouraged to engage’ rather than required to do so." ?
He went on to say that "Clear national guidance would be widely welcomed because what we have now is not felt to be sufficient.” He added, “What industry most wants is clarity, so any rules can be integrated from the start, at the design stage, when the cost impact is minimal."
Members from across parties urged Government to introduce mandatory fire service consultation, minimum separation distances, and statutory health and safety regulations tailored to BESSs. ? Additional suggestions made during the debate included adopting international best practices and pausing new applications until the regulations are strengthened.
Responding for the government, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Energy Consumers, Miatta Fahnbulleh MP said: "We believe that there is a clear health and safety framework in place that we can build on, and we are intent on building on it … ? We will continue to work to strengthen the guidance and processes that are in place so that we can ensure that we have the confidence of the public."
She also confirmed that the government will consult later this month on whether to include batteries in the environmental permitting regulations, to “provide further safeguards and assurances."
In his closing remarks, Milne, likened the situation to that around cladding saying:? "I stress again that incidents will be rare, but a single incident can bring down an industry. ? I hope that the Minister will not make the same mistake that was made over cladding regulations: let us make this a tragedy that never happens." ?
The debate concluded with unanimous support for the motion, urging the Government to act swiftly to implement enforceable national regulations for BESS design and construction.
You can read the transcript of the debate here.