Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Benyon on 24 April (HL7121), what assessment they have made of the emission of (1) greenhouse gasses, and (2) other pollutants, as a result of fires and explosions caused by lithium-ion batteries.

The Environment Agency regulates larger industrial installations in England and are not aware of any assessment being made of the emissions from fires of caused by lithium-ion batteries for their regulatory, permitting or incident functions. Currently, Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) are not considered an ‘Installation’ under the ‘Regulatory Guidance Note No. 2 Understanding the meaning of regulated facility’. Therefore, BESS do not require a permit, Risk Management Strategy, or Plan. The Environment Agency is in discussions with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on the issue.