February 12th 2020
How to Ship Lithium Batteries? (By Sea/Sea Freight, by Air, by Road)
Much like gasoline, propane, and sulfuric acid, lithium-ion batteries are
equally dangerous to ship. There are a lot of unresolved airplanes
incidents that possibly were caused due to lithium batteries being
transported. Although, during the manufacturing process, lithium-ion
batteries are put through rigorous testing. There are several factors to
consider while shipping lithium batteries by sea or by air
. You can't just have them packed away in a box to be shipped.
Risks of shipping lithium batteries
As a sender of lithium battery, one of the listed dangerous goods, you are
responsible for safe shipment. Finding the right way of shipping lithium batteries by sea and air can be a
complicated one as they are extremely sensitive to damage. One of the key
risks pertaining to shipping lithium batteries is that, if the battery
starts leaking, toxic gases could escape or may even lead to an explosion
of the product. An ignited battery in such an instance could be the reason
for an air or sea accident. Safety measures have to be taken to prevent any
short-circuits or activation of lithium batteries while being transported.
For every different type of lithium battery, the labeling, shipping,
packaging and documentation requirement may vary. But the fact of the
matter will remain that all lithium batteries, regardless of the capacity
are considered to be a dangerous good.
Shipping regulations of lithium batteries
As per the UN recommendations, lithium batteries are qualified as dangerous goods due to
the potential fire hazard it may cause. They must be correctly packaged and
identified as per the rules and regulations for shipping. Whether they are
to be shipped individually or along with the product, they must be labeled
with the existing Class 9 Miscellaneous Dangerous Goods hazard label or the
new Class 9 Lithium Battery hazard label. They must be packaged in
non-conductive inner packaging.
Packaging regulations for air freight
Here are some of the key packaging regulations that you must keep in mind
while using air freight for the shipment of your batteries. Firstly, note
that lithium-ion batteries not in equipment must be transported in a state
of charge (SoC) at or below 30% of their rated design capacity. It must
have the necessary approval of the State of Origin and the State of the
Operator too. If the lithium batteries transported are of different
capacities, ensure to keep them seperate. As per the
strict instructions from IATA
, you must follow the packing instructions 965 complying to labeling
requirements, that has 'Lithium-ion batteries in compliance with Section II
of PI965'.
As a consignor, you must ensure that the batteries are labeled with all the
mandatory information including the UN number, net weight, transport
category, the shipper and consignee’s address.
Packaging regulations for road and sea freight
There's a weight restriction of 333 kilograms per transport unit applies
for road freight. And as mentioned above, lithium batteries must comply
with the right labeling requirements. Apart from all the rules and
regulations, it's imperative to have a declaration/shipping paper to
accompany the packages.
EZ-Ship makes shipping lithium batteries an easy task with their detailed
visual shipping guide
. Contact us for more guidance a help on shipping dangerous goods
efficiently.