New regulations on air transport of lithium batteries to take effect on April 1
According to the official news of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), starting from April 1, 2022, there will be another wave of new regulations for the air transportation of lithium batteries. Shippers of lithium batteries by air should be prepared.
This regulatory change is mainly a revision of the multi-page packaging instructions PI 965 and PI 968 of the 63rd edition of the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations. Neither Lithium Ion nor Lithium Metal batteries may be shipped in accordance with Part II.
As a result of this, all self-delivered lithium batteries are required to complete the shipper's dangerous goods declaration, additional marking and labelling, and complete dangerous goods air transport training.
Shippers of lithium batteries are accustomed to shipping regulations that change almost every year, while air transport regulations appear to change more frequently than other modes of transport (rail, road, sea and inland waterways). Reasons for these changes include the growth in transportation of lithium batteries, which now power everything from cell phones to bicycles, scooters, drones, trucks and a wide range of scientific, medical and industrial equipment.
In addition, lithium battery accidents continue to pose a threat to safety. If the packaging of lithium batteries is not fully compliant, lithium batteries can heat up rapidly, reaching temperatures of 400°C, and then release toxic gases. Some airlines have invested in sealing systems that can withstand lithium battery fires, but these systems are expensive and add costs to the supply chain that will inevitably end up being borne by shippers.
From the beginning of April, both lithium-ion and lithium-metal batteries must be declared under Article IA or IB. It is important to note that this change does not apply to lithium battery shipments that are included in equipment or packaged for air shipment with air shipment equipment.
In addition, there are no changes to the ADR (road), RID (rail) or IMDG (maritime) regulations, of which 188 special provisions make lithium-ion batteries less than 100 Wh (watt-hours) and lithium metal batteries with a total lithium metal content less than 2g more convenient use. The differences in regulations between different modes of transport reflect different risks, but also add to the complexity faced by shippers, as there are many shippers using multiple modes of transport.
The net effect of these changes is that many lithium-ion battery-only packages will have to become larger, if only to allow enough room for the hazard and handling labels and other information that must appear on each package. Under Article IA, the shipper requires two labels, and under Article IB, two labels and one mark, and these labels and marks must meet the minimum size standards specified by IATA.
The shipper also needs to prepare a shipper's declaration for each batch of self-delivered lithium batteries. These packages are subject to full acceptance by the ground service agent and will be entered on the "Notice to Captain", which will list the packages that have been loaded on the aircraft. Dangerous Goods.
Shippers will face higher shipping costs as airlines, stevedores, integrators and freight forwarders have to do more to ensure compliance with lithium battery shipments. Air freight rates for most companies have climbed significantly due to the coronavirus pandemic, rising fuel prices, high demand for freight capacity and the cancellation of some air freight capacity due to the situation in Russia and Ukraine. Sadly, more cost increases are on the way.
It will become clearer over time whether the latest revisions to this regulation will further improve security or simply create obstacles and delays for legitimate shippers and distributors. It would also be a welcome respite for all players in the supply chain if lithium battery regulations don't change in a few years.