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SaBatAir Project Closing EventBrussels, 14 November 2019

Status of transport of Lithium batteries by air

Enzo CanariEASA Certification Directorate

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Status of transport of Lithium batteries by air

Background

The regulatory framework

Safety enhancements

EASA research on lithium batteries

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Background

B744, near Jeju (South Korea), 28 July 2011

Fire developed in the cargo hold. The investigation determined that cargo stored on the aircraft in proximity of the aft bulkhead had caught fire. Dangerous goods included flammable liquids, corrosive liquids and lithium-ion batteries.

B744, Dubai (UAE), 3 September 2010

A large fire developed in palletized cargo on the main deck, consisting of consignments of mixed cargo including a significant number of lithium batteries and other combustible materials. The fire escalated rapidly into a catastrophic uncontained fire.

DC-8, Philadelphia (USA), 7 February 2006

The National Transportation Safety Board determined that the probable cause of this accident was an in-flight cargo fire that initiated from an unknown source. Contributing to the loss of the aircraft were hazardous materials information dissemination procedures, and transport of lithium batteries on board aircraft.

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Background

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Background

Presentation of the International Coordinating Council of Aerospace Industries Associations (ICCAIA) at the ICAO DGP-WG (Montreal 27 April - 1 May 2015):

A growing body of test data identifies that existing cargo compartment fire protection systems … are unable to suppress or extinguish a fire involving significant quantities of lithium batteries, resulting in reduced time available for safe flight and landing of an aircraft to a diversion airport. Continuing to allow the carriage of lithium batteries within today’s transport category aircraft cargo compartments is an unacceptable risk to the air transport industry and flying public.

The known and unknown risks associated with transporting lithium batteries by air coupled with the knowledge that the volume of such cargo is continually increasing requires action to be taken.

ICCAIA recommends that appropriate packaging and shipping requirements be established to safely ship lithium ion batteries as cargo on aircraft and that high density packages of lithium ion batteries and cells (UN 3480) not be transported as cargo on passenger aircraft until such time as safer methods of transport are established and followed.

It is further recommended that appropriate packaging and shipping requirements are established to more safely ship lithium metal and lithium ion batteries as cargo on freighter aircraft.

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Background

January 2015

Lithium metal batteries are prohibited on passenger aircraft

April 2016

Lithium ion are prohibited on passenger (April 2016)

Additional restrictions for cargo aircraft from 1 April 2016 including reduced state of charge

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The regulatory framework

The regulatory reference is ICAO Doc 9284

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The regulatory framework

IATA DGR manual is the reference working document for operators shipping dangerous goods by air

It contains up-to-date information on applicable regulation and is the result of IATA closely working with airline members, local governments and ICAO.

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Classification (DGR 3.9.2.6)

Lithium batteries are classified in Class 9 – Miscellaneous dangerous goods as:

UN 3090, Lithium metal batteries; or

UN 3480, Lithium ion batteries

or, if inside a piece of equipment or packed separately with a piece of equipment to power that equipment as:

UN 3091, Lithium metal batteries contained in equipment; or

UN 3091, Lithium metal batteries packed with equipment; and

UN 3481, Lithium ion batteries contained in equipment; or

UN 3481, Lithium ion batteries packed with equipment.

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Lithium metal batteries

Lithium metal batteries are generally primary (non-rechargeable) batteries that have lithium metal or lithium compounds as an anode. Also included within lithium metal are lithium alloy batteries.

Lithium metal batteries packed by themselves (not contained in or packed with equipment) (Packing Instruction 968) are forbidden for transport as cargo on passenger aircraft.

Special Provision A201:

lithium metal cells or batteries that meet the quantity limits of Section II of PI 968 may be shipped on a passenger aircraft under an approval issued by the authority of the State of Origin, State of Destination and State of the Operator.

All other lithium metal cells and batteries can only be shipped on a passenger aircraft under exemption issued by all States concerned.

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Lithium-ion batteries

Lithium-ion batteries (sometimes abbreviated Li-ion batteries) are a secondary (rechargeable) battery where the lithium is only present in an ionic form in the electrolyte. Also included within the category of lithium-ion batteries are lithium polymer batteries.

Lithium ion batteries packed by themselves (Packing Instruction 965) (not contained in or packed with equipment):

(a) must be shipped at a state of charge (SoC) not exceeding 30% of their rated capacity. Cells and/or batteries at a SoC of greater than 30% may only be shipped with the approval of the State of Origin and the State of the Operator under the written conditions established by those authorities, see Special Provision A331; and

(b) may be shipped as cargo on a passenger aircraft under an approval issued by the authority of the State of Origin, State of Destination and State of the Operator where the lithium ion cells or batteries that meet the quantity limits of Section II of PI 965. All other lithium ion cells and batteries can only be shipped as cargo on a passenger aircraft under exemption issued by all States concerned, see Special Provision A201.

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Transport of lithium metal batteries by air

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Transport of lithium ion batteries by air

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Safety enhancements

Is the current framework adequate?

How can we create conditions to remove current restrictions?

Main issues:

Batteries in equipment / packed with equipment

Cargo aircraft

Section II

Undeclared shipments

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Safety enhancements

1) Performance-based package standard

SAE G-27, Lithium Battery Packaging, is a technical committee in SAE’s General Projects Systems Group with the responsibility for the development and maintenance of minimum performance package standards that support the safe shipment of lithium batteries as cargo on aircraft.

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Safety enhancements

2) Identification of the hazard

UN working group on lithium batteries classification

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Safety enhancements

3) Guidelines for safety risk assessment

Specific Working Group on the Safe Carriage of Goods (SCG-SWG) under the Flight Operations Panel established in March 2019

Objective: enhance flight safety by identifying known and anticipated operational risks related to the carriage of goods and developing mitigations

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SaBatAir Project (Safe Battery Transport by air)

Research project funded by the European Union and supervised by EASA and DG MOVE with the support of a Scientific Committee.

The Consortium:

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SaBatAir: scope of the project

Assessment of the effectiveness of the test developed by the SAE G-27

Give inputs and recommendations to the SAE G-27 committee

Study and assess the effectiveness of potential mitigating measures against fire risk related to the transport of lithium metal and lithium ion batteries on Large Aeroplanes.

Develop guidelines to support the production of a safety risk assessment for operators.

An Agency of the European Union

Your safety is our mission.

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