McAdoo's Lane Energy Storage 2

Energy storage fundamentally improves the way we generate, deliver, and consume electricity. Energy storage helps during emergencies like power outages from storms, equipment failures and accidents. The major benefit of energy storage is its ability to balance power supply and demand instantaneously – within milliseconds – which makes power networks more resilient and efficient.

BESS systems occupy a considerably smaller footprint compared to other clean technologies such as solar or wind farms. On average, a 20MW 4-hr BESS system occupies approximately 1.75 acre of land.

BESS have to apply with municipal, provincial and national permitting and codes and standards. 

The following is a non-exhaustive list of industry standards our Project will comply with:  

• UL 9540 Standard for Energy Storage Systems and Equipment 

• UL 9540A Test Method for Evaluating Thermal Runaway Fire Propagation in Battery Energy Storage Systems 

• National & Provincial Building Code 

• National Fire Code Canada 

• Underwriters Laboratories of Canada 

• NECB 2017 National Energy Code of Canada for Buildings 

• ULC (Underwriters Laboratories of Canada) 

• UL 1741 Standard for Inverters, Converters, Controllers, and Interconnections 

• UL 1973 Standard for Batteries for Use in Stationary, Vehicle Auxiliary Power and Light Electric Rail (LER) 

BESS are certified to UL9540 and UL9540A standards to prevent fire spread at the cell, module BESS system level. BESS enclosures have built-in early fire detection systems. These include temperature sensors, smoke detectors, gas detectors, whose main function is to detect abnormalities in the operation of the BESS and automatically stop operations. In the rare event of a fire, the BESS are designed and tested to prevent fire spread between cells, modules and containers. 

These BESS projects do not use lead acid batteries and therefore do not leak.

Mechanical failures include physical damage that could create heat or a fire. Hazards associated with lithium-ion battery energy storage systems are centred on the flammable organic electrolyte and its highly reactive electrodes. However, if the batteries are punctured, there is a risk of electrolytes being exposed to air, which will result in a chemical reaction, leading to thermal runaway and combustion.

Other potential hazardous wastes could include fire residue, debris and fire extinguishing agents. The management of these wastes starts at the cell level, with the selection of battery chemistry, and compliance with local AHJs and global certifications. This is where UL9540A certification becomes critical to BESS projects. Any hazardous leaks will be contained in the enclosure.

In the event of a fire, our storm water management system and emergency response plan will ensure that we collect any fire water for removal so that it will not leach into the ground.

To allow for our connection to the Hydro One grid we are bound by the BESS Fire Protection Risk and Response Assessment Standard, which requires us to complete several assessments including: 

1. Hazard Mitigation Analysis
2. Fire Risk Assessment
3. Fire Protection Design Documentation 
4. Commissioning Plan 
5. Decommissioning Plan 
6. Emergency Response Plan 

We are required to submit a self declaration as part of connection process with Hydro One and make these documents available upon request.

BESS facilities have an expected lifespan of 25 years, or more, with equipment replacement and repowering. At the time of decommissioning, the installed components will be removed and reused/recycled, where possible, and the site restored. All removal of equipment will be done per the applicable regulations and manufacturer recommendations. The below summarizes the decommissioning procedure that would be enacted at the end of project life for each component. 

• BESS – Disconnect all above-ground wirings. Remove all BESS enclosures and support structures. 

• Medium Voltage (MV) Stations, Substation – Disconnect and remove all electrical equipment. Remove the inverter and associated equipment. Remove high-voltage substation transformer. Remove concrete foundations for MV Stations and substation components. 

• Access roads and other components – Consult with the property owner to determine if access roads should be left in place for their continued use. If roads are to be removed, the aggregate materials will be excavated by a backhoe/front-end loader, along with any underlying geotextile fabric. Compacted areas restored. 

• Underground cables – Underground electrical lines running between the inverters and the substation will be removed. All foundation materials will be removed. 

This scale of BESS projects generally take between 6 to 12 months from the start of construction till commissioning.

As part of the Environmental Activity and Sector Registry (EASR) permitting process, a Noise Impact Assessment is completed for the project and submitted to the Ministry of Environment Conservation and Parks. This includes an ambient noise survey to establish the existing ‘noise envelope’ at the site, taking into consideration zoning, nearby highways, and other relevant factors. The assessment determines if the BESS will operate within the sound level limits outlined in Chapter 3 of the EASR Publication at all nearby points of reception.

The safety of people, first responders and neighbours are our priority. We are taking a proactive approach to ensuring a safe and efficient operation. Safety is being addressed with a multi-layered approach: 

1. Battery Chemistry: Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) batteries have a lower energy density, and a more stable chemistry, making them safer and less likely to overheat. 
2. Equipment has been selected based on track record, planning and testing, monitoring, automation, isolation, and suppression. 
3. 24 hour monitoring of battery operations and cell temperatures, including gas detectors, smoke detectors and temperature detectors. 
4. If any abnormality in the operations are detected, the system shuts down and alerts the operator.
5. The battery system is tested to UL9540A standards which require that fire will not propagate between battery units in the unlikely event of a critical failure. 

The project owner will provide and pay for training for the local fire department on how to best manage different types of emergencies related to the battery system.

Electric fields are produced whenever a conductor such as a power line is connected to a source of electrical voltage. Magnetic fields are produced whenever an electrical current flows in a conductor. An example of this is the plugging of a lamp into a wall outlet in a home. When the lamp is plugged in, a voltage is induced in the cord to the lamp that causes an electric field to be created around the cord. In this example, if the lamp is turned on allowing electricity to flow to the lamp, a magnetic field is created around the lamp cord in addition to the electric field.

For the BESS system, the magnetic field will vary with the amount of power being charged or discharged, and the time of the day when the charging and discharging would occur. However, the strength of both electric and magnetic fields will decrease rapidly with distance from the source – for each doubling of the distance from the EMF source, the EMF will drop by a factor of eight. Electric fields will also diminish from absorption by any vegetation (including low-growing vegetation) located in its path because the plants effectively ground the electric fields.

There will be a short distance from the BESS to the connection point where the EMF would be created. More importantly, there are few to no buildings in the vicinity of the connection point.

If deemed necessary by authorities having jurisdiction, measurements of magnetic fields could be made before construction of the Project and after the Project begins operating to assess whether EMF from the Project’s electrical infrastructure would extend into the neighbouring area. 

Construction of the Project would happen in phases and be carried out by small teams of 5-10 attending to site work in an ordered manner to avoid any traffic management issues at the site. The phases would generally focus on the civil works, mechanical installation, electrical connection, and landscaping. It was highlighted that after construction and commissioning of the project, there would be minimal employee traffic to the site as the BESS will be remotely monitored and scheduled site visits would happen quarterly to ensure stable operations and effective preventive maintenance. 

The number of containers depends on the density of the battery technology which continues to advance. The project will use approximately 35 containers within about 1.75 acres of land depending on the supplier use, and will have the capacity to add additional containers in the future.

Compass Greenfield Development will be responsible for maintaining the project. Regular maintenance of the electrical and battery equipment includes ongoing 24-hour monitoring, as well as regular scheduled maintenance, like other electrical equipment. These include changing filters on HVAC equipment and visually inspecting connections in the equipment.

The project owner is required to maintain the BESS project. The project will be remote monitored 24/7, 365 days per year by I) the project owner, ii) a dedicated third-party vendor and iii) the battery manufacturer. This monitoring is focused on voltage, temperature and gas detection, any of which will alert the operators. Further, any critical abnormalities would automatically isolate to make the system safe. It will have regular scheduled maintenance and unscheduled maintenance as required.

The project will be fully insured for the duration of construction and life of the project. Insurance will cover environmental cleanup caused by the battery system and costs to the municipality for deploying fire fighters to address a fire or emergency on site.

Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) Phase 1: Identifies any potential environmental concerns in relation to the Site. A Phase II ESA will be carried out if deemed necessary.

Environmental Activity Sector Registry (EASR): Identifies if the combined sound level resulting from operating the facility at each affected point of reception is less than or equal to the applicable sound level limit set out in Chapter 3 of the EASR Publication (determined using an acoustic assessment). 

Emission Summary and Dispersion modelling report: Will determine if the facility will have significant sources of air emissions.

Species At Risk (SAR) Screening: Will confirm that no SAR specimens or critical habitats are evident in the agriculture field. Due to long-term use of the Site for agriculture and local factors, the potential habitat available for fish, wildlife, and plants is likely to be very limited. 

The BESS projects procured by the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) help ensure grid reliability by storing electricity when supply is high and delivering it during peak demand. The electricity stored will be dispatched by the IESO and conveyed through the nearby Transformer station to the broader grid—ultimately used by homes, businesses, and industries across Ontario. 

The major equipment on site that has anything that can spill are the primary oil filled transformers (three in total). As part of our Environmental Compliance Approval, we will maintain an oil containment system to capture any oil that spills or leaks from the transformers. In addition, we will be remotely monitoring oil temperature and levels to allow us to detect any issues and dispatch a response team. 

In the event of a large leak in oil into the containment system, the project owner has retained environmental response experts to provide 3rd party remediation services in the event of a spill or release impacting the environment. These contractors perform and not limited to the following services: 

• Emergency spill response services (Containment equipment, Bulk waste removal equipment & Chemical response technicians) 

• Dewatering and Containment (Including Large containment tanks, Transfer pumps and Vacuum trucks) 

• Industrial firefighting (Firefighting assets and personnel to assist the municipal fire services if required) 

• Environmental engineering and Consulting (Soil & water testing, On-site & community air monitoring, Environmental reporting) 

• Environmental remediation services (Heavy civil equipment, Ground water treatment) 

• Licenced waste receiving facilities (Soil & liquid)

In the unlikely event of a release to the environment, the project owner will immediately dispatch emergency crews sourced locally and provincially to attend the site with response and remediation assets. Upon approval from the local authorities and working in conjunction with the fire department, these assets will mobilize on site.

The project owner is responsible for complying with the Ontario Environmental Protection Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. E.19 and all spills and releases impacting the natural environment will be reported immediately.