Leitrim group warns of environmental dangers from approved battery storage facility

Roscommon County Council has approved, with conditions, the development of a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) on a 1.621-hectare site on the western shore of Lough Allen, Co. Roscommon, despite strong objections from the Lough Allen Conservation Association.

The development sought by Arigna LDES Ltd includes the installation of 56 battery containers and medium voltage power stations (MVPS) and a single-storey Independent Power Producer building.

Additionally, the development includes new internal access roads, drainage systems, landscaping, parking, lighting and all associated site works.

Arigna LDES Ltd has said the BESS is designed to provide system support services to the electricity grid at the townlands of Tawlaght and Srabragan.

The planning application has seen numerous objections since it was lodged in December of 2023.

The Lough Allen Conservation Association, based in Drumshanbo, has been strongly opposing the development of a BESS in Arigna and has expressed disappointment over the approval of the project.

In a submission to Roscommon County Council Planning Department, Lough Allen Conservation Association expressed opposition to the development of the BESS because it is believed to pose a significant environmental risk. 

Specifically, there is concern that the project could lead to extensive water contamination in Lough Allen and connected waterways.

“Unfortunately, BESS facilities are not officially or legally recognised as potential environmental hazards. This is absurd, since it is so obvious that a BESS failure is extremely dangerous for the environment and population,” said Sean Wynne, Secretary of Lough Allen Conservation Association.

Mr Wynne has criticised the legal framework, highlighting that BESS facilities are not required to undergo an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for planning permission. 

Lough Allen Conservation Association object to proposed battery storage facility

Application to develop a Battery Energy Storage System on a 1.621 hectare site

“This is why a BESS can be built without any consideration for the environment or communities, without a proper emergency response plan and environmental containment,” Wynne continued.

Mr Wynne stated that requiring an EIA is the only way to prevent the proposed BESS. 

He argued that if an EIA were mandatory, it would highlight the environmental and community concerns raised, ultimately making it impossible for the project to secure planning permission, stopping its development.

A bill to amend legislation, making an EIA mandatory for BESS projects, is currently at stage two in the Oireachtas. However, it must progress through a total of 11 stages.

“The BESS problem can be compared with the masts problem. 

“As long as 5G, 4G and all other G's are not legally and officially recognised as dangerous and as being both a health and an environmental hazard, the planning authority has the right to ignore all the issues, notwithstanding the overwhelming evidence,” Mr Wynne concluded.

The BESS plan was approved with 19 conditions, including the requirement for an updated emergency response plan and the restoration of the land to its original state at the end of the BESS's lifespan.

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