Gas leak at Cockenzie battery storage construction site linked to third-party damage
EIR-0681Provisional entry. Confirmed: a gas main was damaged at a battery storage construction site near Cockenzie on 10 September 2026 and the gas network operator attributed it to third-party damage. Not yet known: what struck the main, how long repairs took, whether anyone required treatment, and whether any regulatory action followed. Next update: 15 September 2026.
A gas leak was discovered on the afternoon of 10 September 2026 at a building site near Edinburgh Road, Cockenzie, East Lothian, where a battery energy storage system (BESS) is under construction. Residents nearby reported a strong smell of gas and noise at about 4pm. Scottish Gas Networks (SGN) attended and said the leak was caused by third-party damage to a gas main. Repairs required coordination with ScottishPower because of a nearby high-voltage cable. SGN visited some homes in the immediate vicinity and advised closing windows and doors against the smell, though this was not a widespread recommendation, and there were reports of people experiencing headaches and nausea. SGN said there was no immediate risk to gas supplies and no cause for concern for local residents. The chair of the local community council said that supply was not affected but that pressure had been reduced. Repair timescales were not known at the time of reporting and the outcome of the repair has not yet been reported.
SGN stated the leak was caused by third-party damage to a gas main at the building site. The presence of a nearby high-voltage cable meant repairs could not proceed until the electricity network operator attended to coordinate. No investigation findings have been reported.
- Excavation and groundworks on energy project sites should be preceded by confirmed utility searches and permits to dig, because buried gas mains and high-voltage cables often share the same corridors.
- A damaged service can take longer to make safe where a second utility must attend first, so emergency plans should identify which network operators need to be called and how quickly they can respond.
- Early, practical advice to neighbouring residents, including whether to close windows and doors, limits both exposure and community alarm while a leak is being made safe.
Published 2026-09-12. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.