To the Editor,
In situations where new technology is proposed it is human nature to oppose the change.
In the case of BESS, we suggest that the benefits outweigh the risks. Independent Electricity System Operators (IESO) electricity planning experts have determined Ontario needs a substantial increase in electricity capacity to achieve the goal of a sustainable electricity supply by 2050. They have placed an interim target of 4,000 additional Megawatts by the end of the decade. They have deemed that a large fraction of this should be provided by large scale Battery Energy Storage Systems – BESS.
In Ontario several large projects are either underway or have been identified by IESO as suitable to help achieve their goals. These include a 250 MW BESS in Napanee approved by IESO in 2023 and 380 and 390 MW sites identified in May 2024 in the same decision that gave the go ahead for the Trail Road and Fitzroy sites.
The proponent for the Fitzroy site has indicated they will be using batteries composed of lithium iron phosphate largely because of their safety compared to other lithium-ion battery chemistries. A perusal of the internet using LiFePO4 will let you find information like the following:
How are LiFePO4 batteries safer than other lithium batteries?
“Phosphate-based batteries offer superior chemical and mechanical structure that does not overheat to unsafe levels. Thus, providing an increase in safety over lithium-ion batteries made with other cathode materials. This is because the charged and uncharged states of LiFePO4 are physically similar and highly robust, which lets the ions remain stable during the oxygen flux that happens alongside charge cycles or possible malfunctions.
“Overall, the iron phosphate-oxide bond is stronger than the cobalt-oxide bond, so when the battery is overcharged or subject to physical damage then the phosphate-oxide bond remains structurally stable; whereas in other lithium chemistries the bonds begin breaking down and releasing excessive heat, which eventually leads to thermal runaway. Lithium phosphate cells are incombustible, which is an important feature in the event of mishandling during charging or discharging. They can also withstand harsh conditions, be it freezing cold, scorching heat or rough terrain. When subjected to hazardous events, such as collision or short-circuiting, they won’t explode or catch fire, significantly reducing any chance of harm. If you’re selecting a lithium battery and anticipate use in hazardous or unstable environments, LiFePO4 is likely your best choice. It’s also worth mentioning, LiFePO4 batteries are non-toxic, non-contaminating and contain no rare earth metals, making them an environmentally conscious choice.”
Underwriters Laboratories is another good source for information. One particular test conducted on all batteries proposed by new suppliers is known as UL9540A. This test entails subjecting BESS battery elements and modules to extensive heat conditions until they catch fire and then analyzing the fumes that are emitted. When lithium iron phosphate batteries go through this procedure, they show ignition temperatures far higher than other lithium-ion battery chemistries and non-toxic fume emissions when they do catch fire.
Rigorous zoning and environmental hurdles must be cleared before sites can be used for BESS.
Recently West Carleton Online reported on the release of a position paper on BESSby the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA). This was a thoughtful description basically in support of the introduction of BESS to achieve IESO’s long term goals with the recommendations among others, for increasing distance setbacks and not allowing BESS on land zoned for agricultural use.
In situations where new technology is proposed it is human nature to oppose the change. In the case of BESS, we suggest the benefits outweigh the risks. The large-scale benefits of BESS are a reduction in the need for natural gas plant construction and hence a reduction in the fossil fuel footprint of Ontario’s electricity production combined with an elimination of transmission line build out to support any new production site. In way of comparison of risk/benefits trade off, there are approximately 5,000 fires at gas stations in North America in a typical year, yet these are risks that people who drive vehicles with internal combustion engines find to be at an acceptable level. We live with risk of accidents during transportation and many other things in our lives filled with technical apparatus – often not even thinking about them compared to the benefits we derive. We feel BESS will eventually be perceived like this.
If one was to be built in our neighbourhood, we would feel that we were doing our bit to help eventually alleviate the risk of forest fires and floods at home and elsewhere.
As residents of Ward 5 for 40 plus years we would like to throw our full support behind the concept of the use of BESS on our electrical grid. Furthermore, we don’t want Ward 5 to become known as the place where good ideas go to die.
Barrie and Laurie Ashworth,
Dunrobin.