Cork County Council has been urged to reject the proposed Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) in Newmarket due to its clear and unacceptable threat to rural landscape, public safety and environment by Senator Nicole Ryan.
French energy company Neoen received conditional permission for the energy storing facility from Cork County Council in July.
The large energy storage facility will be equipped with lithium-ion batteries.
The proposed site is located beside a 1,000-year-old graveyard, the River Dalua and in close proximity to residential properties.
The plans consist of a 10-year planning permission for an energy storage facility - with a 35-year lifespan - at Curraduff. The planning permission comes with 28 conditions.
The works will see energy storage containers installed on concrete plinths and the development of underground electrical and communications cabling, electrical inverters and transporters as well as security fencing and gates.
It will also include an upgrade of the existing agricultural entrance from the L5039 and the development of an on-site access track and pole-mounted security cameras.
A second public meeting was held by concerned community members in An Cultúrlann on Thursday, September 4 and Sinn Féin Senator Nicole Ryan said the pattern in rural Ireland is deeply unjust. "Rural Ireland is consistently being treated as a dumping ground for dangerous industrial projects that would never be permitted in our cities. This BESS development is a prime example. The Council's decision to approve this facility in the heart of our agricultural land and on a town's, doorstep is a complete disregard for the well-being of our community."
Senator Ryan wants clarity from Cork County Council on why the energy storage facility is not being built in an urban area. "If this technology is so safe and so vital for our energy future, why are you not building it in urban areas where the energy is actually consumed? Why is it only good enough for the people of rural Ireland to live next to this hazard? The answer is clear: the risks are too great, and you are offloading them onto us."
The Cork politician continued: "The group's appeal outlines serious environmental and safety concerns which I 100% agree with. Ireland currently has no specific regulations or guidelines for BESS facilities, nor does it have a designated authority to oversee their safety. Lithium-ion batteries contain a liquid electrolyte that can react with moisture to create hydrofluoric acid (HF), one of the most dangerous substances in industrial use. A thermal runaway event can release toxic gas even without a fire.
"If this substance were to leak into the local watercourse, the effects on the protected River Blackwater and its species, including Atlantic salmon, would be catastrophic. The proposal includes only one access point and it also lacks an adequate water supply for firefighting and a specific emergency plan. Equally there is no proper plan for the costly and complex decommissioning of this facility," she added.
Senator Ryan urged the Council to consider the long-term impact on local agriculture, water quality, and public safety. "Our farmland is a resource for food security, not an industrial dumping ground. I am calling on the Council to put the well-being of its people and the environment ahead of corporate interests."