Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent assessment he has made of the potential risk of soil contamination from materials used in solar panels, cabling, inverters or battery storage systems.

Solar panels are designed to be highly durable, and there is no evidence that they pose a leaching risk under normal operating conditions.

New solar sites must have conducted environmental surveys, and environmental and habitat impact assessments. They must comply with health and safety legislation throughout their lifecycle.

Battery systems are governed by regulations, such as the Waste Batteries and Accumulators Regulations, which mitigate the risk of soil contamination through improper disposal.

The Government has recently consulted on the principle of including battery systems within scope of the Environmental Permitting Regulations (EPR). If pursued, EPR will require developers to demonstrate how specific risks have been managed and will provide for ongoing regulatory inspections of BESS sites