To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if her Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending safety regulations for the storage of industrial lithium-ion batteries to cover domestic battery storage.
Answered on
3 May 2023
Defra is currently reviewing the existing UK Batteries Regulations, and a consultation is expected by the end of 2023. The review is expected to consider safety risks associated with all batteries during their lifecycle, including safety concerns associated with lithium-ion batteries.
Grid-scale lithium-ion battery energy storage systems are covered by a robust regulatory framework which requires manufacturers to ensure products are safe before they are placed on the market, that they are installed correctly, and that any safety issues found after products are on the market or after installation are dealt with.
In 2018 BEIS set up an industry-led electricity Storage Health and Safety Governance Group responsible for ensuring that an appropriate, robust and future-proofed health and safety framework is sustained as the industry develops and storage deployment increases. The government is currently working with the industry-led Storage Health and Safety Governance Group to take steps including supporting the development of a product and installation Publicly Available Standard for domestic/small-scale battery storage and developing guidance for grid-scale storage.