Lithium Battery Shipping & Safety: The 2025–2026 Series
A running technical series on lithium battery classification, fire risk, and compliance under the IMDG Code — covering shipping names, special provisions, power banks, sodium-ion alternatives, EV storage and ro-ro fire risk, and the engineering (BMS) layer behind battery safety.
Find Your Battery’s UN Number
A quick-reference tool for classifying lithium metal, lithium ion, and sodium-ion batteries under the IMDG Code (UN 3090, 3091, 3480, 3481, 3536, 3551, 3552) — search by UN number, chemistry, or condition, or use the guided wizard.
Open the tool →Battery Management Systems: The Engineering Layer Behind Lithium Battery Safety at Sea
A battery management system is the first line of defence against lithium battery fires at sea. What a BMS does, whether it’s mandatory, and how UN 38.3 and the IMDG Code actually require it — in practice, if not by name.
Read the article →From Bedroom to Bulk Carrier: What Lithium Battery Fires Are Really Teaching Us
Thermal runaway in lithium-ion batteries has killed people from a London bedroom to a Pacific cargo ship. A fact-checked trace of every documented incident back to its source report, and what each one actually teaches about the batteries themselves.
Read the article →Understanding Proper Shipping Names for Lithium Ion Batteries
Why lithium ion batteries carry three different proper shipping names — and why getting the right one matters for classification and documentation.
Read the article →Power Banks Are Dangerous Goods. Start Treating Them That Way
A power bank fire at Chandigarh airport is a reminder that these devices are regulated dangerous goods, not ordinary luggage. How IMDG Code 42-24 classifies power banks shipped by sea, and what ICAO’s Addendum No. 1 (effective 27 March 2026) now requires.
Read the article →Sodium-Ion Batteries: Key Shipping Guidelines and Exemptions
Shipping sodium-ion batteries under IMDG Code 42-24 — how the guidelines and exemptions differ from the lithium chemistries most shippers already know.
Read the article →Best Practices for Storing Electric Vehicles (EVs) in Maritime Ports
There’s no single mandatory global regulation for portside storage of EVs, but a set of practical guidelines governs safe keeping in sheds and open yards.
Read the article →Understanding IMDG Code Special Provision SP 188 for Lithium & Sodium Batteries
SP 188 provides conditional exemptions for small lithium cells and batteries, and sodium-ion cells and batteries, from some of the IMDG Code’s more stringent requirements — while still ensuring robust safety measures.
Read the article →Managing Electric Vehicle Fire Risks on Ro-Ro Vessels: Key Guidelines
Lithium-ion battery-powered vehicles are increasingly carried on ro-ro and RoPax vessels — the fire risk profile this creates, and the guidelines built to manage it.
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