The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has launched a new industry certification – the Center of Excellence for Independent Validators (CEIV) Lithium Battery – meant to improve the safe handling and transport of lithium batteries across the supply chain.
The safe transport of this energy source, which powers a wide variety of consumer goods ranging from mobile phones and laptops to toys, cars and e-bikes, has sparked concern over the years with numerous incidents recorded involving lithium batteries overheating or catching fire, prompting calls for tightened rules for the carriage of lithium-ion batteries.
“The key concerns on the transportation of lithium batteries by air are the lack of awareness that these items are dangerous goods, the increasing number of incidents of intentional misdeclared, and non-compliant lithium batteries in cargo shipments,” Albert Tjoeng, head of corporate communications at IATA, told Asia Cargo News.
“Hence, the current focus of CEIV Lithium Battery is on shippers and freight forwarders, who have the important task/function of classifying, packing, marking, labelling and declaring the goods.”
But, IATA noted that while the certification is currently for shippers and freight forwarders, it will benefit the whole supply chain by seeking to address misdeclared, and non-compliant lithium batteries in shipments.
“The programme supports airlines in being able to evaluate and verify that shippers and freight forwarders offering and processing lithium battery shipments have implemented the processes and procedures required and comply with the provisions set out in the IATA Lithium Battery Shipping Regulations (LBSR) and the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations (DGR),” Tjoeng said.
The IATA spokesperson noted that the CEIV Lithium Battery certification enables the supply chain of lithium battery products to “develop the capacity and resources” to meet their safety obligations, and comply with the applicable transport regulations.
“This will help improve the safe transport of lithium batteries across the supply chain,” he added.
In January 2020, the United States Federal Aviation Administration reported there had been 280 incidents involving lithium-ion batteries on aircraft or in airports since January 2006. Other reports put the number at 322 incidents between 2006 and May 2021.
Meanwhile, the lithium ion battery market is expected to see a compounded annual growth rate of 12.6% from 2020 to 2027.
Since the launch of the new certification, Tjoeng told Asia Cargo News that the interest shown is promising.
“The CEIV Lithium Battery certification was launched in October,” he said. “We have received multiple expressions of interest for the certification after the launch of CEIV Lithium Battery,”
CEVA Logistics boss says certification ‘an important step’
Separately, CEVA Logistics, which was the first to received lithium battery certification for its operations in Hong Kong and Amsterdam, said it is now working to secure a similar certification in its other locations.
“This is an important step for the air cargo industry. As an industry, we have talked a lot over the years about safety in relation to lithium batteries, and this certification is now tangible action,” Peter Penseel, chief operating officer for air freight at CEVA Logistics in Marseille, told Asia Cargo News.
“We are already planning to extend this certification to other locations in our air freight network, including Chicago, Frankfurt, Incheon, London, Los Angeles, Shanghai and Tokyo. More locations will follow this initial wave,” Penseel added.
The CEVA Logistics executive noted that while it was the first to receive this certification, it also wants to see as many companies as possible secure the certification including freight forwarders, ground handlers, and transporters.
“This type of knowledge and the benefits that come with it will only make our industry safer,” he added.
Penseel then sought support from all stakeholders to maximize the benefits of this new certification for the industry.
“This certification is an important step, and we firmly believe that it will improve the safe handling and transport of lithium batteries across the supply chain, [but] we also believe that the industry needs the support of regulatory and governmental bodies to enforce existing regulations to deter those who would jeopardize safety through means of false declarations or paperwork,” Penseel added, noting that such practices pose a safety threat to air cargo handlers, transport crews, and, in the case of passenger cargo transport, the passengers and crew on board.
Guillaume Halleux, chief officer for cargo at Qatar Airways in Doha, also spoke of the risks of lithium batteries on aircraft.
In a speech at the World Cargo Symposium, Halleux narrated three lithium battery-related incidents he had encountered at the carrier as he urged regulators to issue regulation on the transport of lithium batteries.
“We have no visibility over the cargo given to us. We screen for explosives and bombs, but we don’t look for lithium,” Halleux said, noting that the technology exists to do so but isn’t being used.
“You can ban shippers all you like, but there is no point if you are not checking the cargo,” Halleux said, comparing how the industry had seen liquids banned on board in just two months, while players have been talking about lithium battery concerns “for three years.”
Separately, he told Asia Cargo News that the current CEIV certification on lithium batteries is not yet available to airlines but the cargo carrier will secure one once it is.
“The lithium battery CEIV certification is not available for airlines at the moment,” Halleux said. “[But] we are very interested in the certification.”
Recently, Qatar Airways announced that it is replacing its entire fleet of 10,000-unit load devices (ULDs) with fire resistant containers, becoming the first cargo carrier to do so.
Over the next five years, the cargo airline will replace its ULDs with Safran Cabin’s new fire-resistant containers (FRCs), aiming to exchange 70% of the units during 2022 alone.
Qatar Airways Cargo’s move to invest in Safran Cabin’s newly-developed fire resistant containers stems from the airline’s vested interest in preventing safety issues related to the increasing risk posed by lithium battery shipments.
Charlee C. Delavin
