Chessington BESS

The Chessington BESS project is progressing through the development planning process.

We are committed to transparent, open and proactive consultation with Kingston Upon Thames Borough Council, local stakeholders, community members and near neighbours to share information about the proposed project. The project team is hosting a community drop-in session on June 30th at the King's Centre in Chessington to share information about the proposed project. We will continue to consult with the local community over the coming months and provide updates about the project.

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Aside from more secure energy supply at a time when electricity consumption is ever increasing while energy infrastructure is aging, Chessington BESS will establish a benefit sharing program to support local not-for profits and fund projects or initiatives of importance and value to the local community that align with and have a positive impact on the environment, social connectedness as well as employment and education. We welcome your input on the scope and priorities of what is required. In due course, we will invite local not-for-profits and community organisations to contribute to the program design that we call Powering Big Dreams by getting in touch and applying via this website.

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Energy storage solutions are specifically designed to manage and mitigate fire risk and they operate with comprehensive safety features in both the hardware and software technology. Utility scale batteries that are being constructed in the UK are designed to meet industry-leading safety standards, such as UL9540, UL9540A, BS EN 16009:2011 and NFPA 68.  

Fire safety will be a central consideration in the design of the Chessington BESS. It is important to note that such scenarios are extremely rare, and the Project incorporates multiple layers of safety to prevent and contain any such event. Key safety features include adequate spacing between units and installation on gravel surfaces to reduce fuel loads and minimise the risk of fire spread. Equipment such as heating ventilation and air conditioning will safely maintain temperature conditions within BESS enclosures, including during high temperature conditions. Continuous remote monitoring of the battery performance will detect and respond to any abnormal conditions, with the ability to isolate and shutdown any batteries well before the risk of fire.