KIM BURTON-SCHRAM
LOCAL JOURNALISM INITIATIVE REPORTER
Construction is progressing well on the North Glengarry battery energy storage system (BESS) next to Highway 417 on Skye Road, just north of the village of Dunvegan. The sunny summer afternoon, laundry blowing gently in the quiet breeze nearby the construction site, and the road crew relaxing in their trucks out of heat, belie the undercurrent of concern some residents and farmers have for this facility.
With deep worries for the welfare of their families, their animals and their farmland, frustrated residents continue to speak out against the BESS, hosting a website and posting videos to draw attention to their opinions and cause. While these residents seek to overturn the zoning bylaw that permitted the development of the BESS in North Glengarry, construction is continuing at the facility. There has been some increased community activity near the sites, but the developer, Compass Greenfield Development, says their security systems, in cooperation with support from local OPP detachments, are proving effective in maintaining a secured construction site. “These projects are classified as Critical Infrastructure, and we take security very seriously,” said Elijah Garrett, Project Manager for Compass Greenfield Development. “Each site is equipped with state-of-the-art security and detection systems, allowing us to notify authorities almost immediately in the event of unauthorized access or an incident.”
The BESS facilities stem from the provincial government’s direction for the Electricity System Operator (IESO) to phase out natural gas power stations and transition to zero emission electricity systems. To balance this transition, the IESO needs to rely on battery storage facilities. Additionally, with the demand for electricity continuing to increase for transportation, manufacturing, building and water heating, BESS facilities will enhance the electrical grid, provide needed energy for limited durations and support the use of renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power.
Residents have issue with what they feel was insufficient notification of the planned BESS facility, as well as its location so close to active farming operations. Compass Energy has stated they notified residents beyond the mandated distance zone and did hold a second community meeting to provide information to concerned residents who had not attended the first public information evening held almost two years ago.
In the report released by the OFA concerning the location of BESS facilities near agricultural land, recommendations were provided for developers of battery storage sites to support the rural and farming communities affected. The battery storage facility being constructed in North Glengarry meets the current setback from property lines; however, the OFA is suggesting the IESO and Ontario Energy Board (OEB) increase the setback requirement from 30.6 metres to a minimum of 61.2 metres from battery storage containers to residential and agricultural buildings.
The OFA recommends that the provincial government and the developers of BESS facilities adopt and comply with the standards & codes of the Underwriters Laboratory (UL) and the National Fire Prevention Association (NFPA). By adopting these standards, fire prevention and fire suppression mechanisms will effectively manage possible failures of battery storage systems and reduce the possibility of thermal runaway. Thermal runaway occurs when the battery cell temperature rises too quickly, which then causes the battery to overheat even more and potentially release its energy. Good maintenance of the batteries, along with effective temperature regulation, can eliminate this concern.
According to Elijah Garrett, the BESS development in North Glengarry will include comprehensive stormwater management and containment systems. Should the unlikely possibility of a fire event occur, the stormwater management system is engineered to contain all firewater runoff onsite until the emergency response team can assess the situation and determine whether removal of the runoff firewater will be required. The only potential environmental release comes from the oil in the transformers which is the same as that used in hydro transformer stations across the province. Each transformer will be equipped with an oil containment system to capture any spill should it occur and trigger an alarm for immediate response.
The OFA report further recommends that owners of BESS systems meet and comply with any changes in the UL and NFPA standards & codes as the technology advances for the battery storage facilities. Additionally, the OFA recommends BESS facilities be constructed with qualified professionals with experience in battery storage facility installations to ensure all safety standards are met. Regular maintenance and inspection of the battery storage system by professionals is also necessary to ensure ongoing safety. The battery storage facility on Skye Road part of a group of BESS projects currently underway with Compass Greenfield Development in Ontario, including two in Mississippi Mills and one in Windsor, supporting their experience with the technology.
Because of the unique function to store electricity, but not generate it, BESS facilities do not require an environmental assessment. However, the OFA suggests that battery storage facilities be subject to Environmental Approval or Environmental Compliance Approval to ensure containment and management of ground & surface water, air quality and soil standards to make certain there is no degradation.
In addition, the OFA also recommends the Ministry of Energy direct any BESS facilities to be developed on land that is not Specialty Crop Lands or on lands classified as Class 1 through 4. The Canada Land Inventory (CLI) soil capability for agriculture has 7 classes, descending in quality from Class 1, which is the highest level of soil, to Class 7 which is not suitable for field crops, thus having no agricultural capacity. Soil can be improved through stone removal and tile drainage, which might increase its capability to yield crops; however, in the original proposal in 2023, the land on Skye Road being developed for the battery storage facility was presented to the North Glengarry Council, Township Staff and the public as unsuitable for agricultural purposes. The OFA’s recommendation for land choices would mean prime Ontario agricultural farmland would not diminish even further due to development of BESS facilities.
The Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) acknowledges the need for higher electricity demands and the phasing out of natural gas energy, thus supporting the initiatives of the Ministry of Energy. However, the OFA looks to mitigate the impact of the development of battery storage facilities on the people, farmland and critical food systems of rural Ontario through its recommendations. The BESS facility in North Glengarry is expected to be commissioned by 2026 through to 2047, when the site will be decommissioned and the land restored to its original capacity.
L’article Ontario Federation of Agriculture tackles concerns over BESS developments est apparu en premier sur Cornwall Seaway News.
