Claregalway battery fire fall-out still goes on

Independent Ireland Cllr Noel Thomas highlighted the matter after attending a public meeting in Claregalway, where a firefighter who had responded to the incident, spoke about the experience.

The fire at a lithium battery production plant in Claregalway Corporate Park last January led to evacuations and the closure of nearby schools.

Firefighters who attended the scene were later treated in hospital after reporting that they felt unwell.

Cllr Thomas said firefighters were exposed for only a short period and were wearing protective gear, but some have still not been able to return to work.

“Three men are still not able to come back to work and, as a result, the fire station in Athenry is constantly closed,” Cllr Thomas told the Connacht Tribune.

“The fact they had protective gear on them and were only in there for a short time proves how toxic these things are.”

Cllr Thomas also criticised a lack of governance and regulation around battery storage facilities and questioned whether large-scale battery installations should be located near rural communities.

Several councillors also raised concerns about Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) at a council meeting in December.

Last week, dozens of residents protested outside County Hall over a 140-hectare solar farm in the Cregmore area of northeast Galway, which is at an advanced stage of construction.

Planning permission for a battery energy storage facility linked to the project was granted in 2021, and residents have raised safety concerns about lithium-ion battery storage, particularly the risk of fire.

Chief Executive Liam Conneally said the council can review the County Development Plan but warned that the process would take time and would require detailed information.

He said Environmental Protection Agency guidelines for lithium battery storage apply to planning decisions.

Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.