Increasing public opposition and regulatory pressure over fire safety are delaying or putting wind farm projects at risk of cancellation, underscoring the importance of fire suppression systems and technology to the expansion of wind power.

This is amongst the findings of a report published this week by Firetrace International, which suggests that the value of the global wind power industry could reach £167bn by 2028 – but only if fire risk is properly addressed.

Local communities are becoming increasingly concerned over the safety of wind farms. A study by MIT academics, which analysed 53 renewable energy projects that were delayed or blocked between 2008 and 2021, found that local residents and stakeholders opposed such projects if safety risks had not been adequately addressed.

Numerous battery energy storage projects have also been postponed in the US and Canada over fire safety concerns, while politicians in the UK are calling for these projects to be subject to additional fire safety checks.

With co-located projects increasing by 90% in 2023, according to The American Clean Power Association, the risk of fire on renewable energy sites is become increasingly complex with batteries introducing additional hazards, drawing understandable public scrutiny.

The report suggests that tightening profit margins and rising costs have led some developers and owner-operators to dismiss fire suppression systems as an unnecessary upfront expense.

Brian Cashion, director of engineering at Firetrace International, commented: “Wind developers and owner-operators should install fire suppression systems from the outset, particularly in co-located projects, to win local support and avoid potential delays or cancellations. Yet, many wrongly assume that investing in fire suppression systems can wait or will be covered by other parties later in the project’s development and do not look into installation until after a fire incident. This is despite the fact that the cost of pre-installing these systems is less than a rounding error in a project budget.”

“While we need to correct this assumption urgently, we’re already starting to see an increase in the number who have adopted fire suppression systems early on and are seeing significant benefits as a result. As the wind market continues to grow, we will hopefully see more doing the same – helping to enhance fire safety standards and best practices across the industry.”

In the last few years, some of the world’s biggest wind markets – including Australia, France and South Korea – have mandated fire safety systems for all wind farms, joining Germany, which has had such regulations in place for a decade.


Image courtesy Firetrace

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