LITHIUM METAL BATTERIES (including lithium alloy batteries) and LITHIUM ION BATTERIES (including lithium ion polymer batteries) are assigned to class 9 in IMDG Code and listed as below:

• 3090 LITHIUM METAL BATTERIES (including lithium alloy batteries)
• 3091 LITHIUM METAL BATTERIES CONTAINED IN EQUIPMENT (including lithium alloy batteries
• 3091 LITHIUM METAL BATTERIES PACKED WITH EQUIPMENT (including lithium alloy batteries)
• 3480 LITHIUM ION BATTERIES (including lithium ion polymer batteries)
• 3481 LITHIUM ION BATTERIES CONTAINED IN EQUIPMENT (including lithium ion polymer batteries)
• 3481 LITHIUM ION BATTERIES PACKED WITH EQUIPMENT (including lithium ion polymer batteries)
• 3536 LITHIUM BATTERIES INSTALLED IN CARGO TRANSPORT UNIT (lithium ion batteries or lithium metal batteries)

Exemption from class 9 is given to below cells and batteries with restrictions on lithium content, watt hour ratings and package mass. See SP 188 for full information.

• Lithium metal or alloy cell – the lithium content is not more than 1 g.
• Lithium ion cell -the watt-hour rating is not more than 20 Wh.
• Lithium metal or lithium alloy battery – , the aggregate lithium content is not more than 2 g.
• Lithium-ion battery -the watt-hour rating is not more than 100 Wh.

Stage of Charge

State of charge (SoC) is the level of charge of an electric battery relative to its capacity. The units of SoC are percentage points (0% = empty; 100% = full). SoC is normally used when discussing the current state of a battery in use. [source Wikipedia].

Sea transport IMDG Code

IMDG Code does not specify State of charge (SoC) in special provisions.

However, IMDG Code 40-20 has provisions for damaged or defective cells and batteries of UN Nos. 3090, 3091, 3480 which are offered for transport. Packing instruction P911 and large packing instruction LP906 ask for identifying and quantifying the hazards expected in case of thermal runway which includes consideration of State of charge (SoC).

IMDG Code 40-20 may be applied voluntarily from 1^st January 2021 before it come into force from 1^st January 2022.

Air transport

49 CFR

Code of Federal Regulations, 49, limits the State of charge (SoC) to 30% of the rated capacity. For transport above 30% SoC shipper need to get approval from Associate Administrator.

Refer special provision A100 in subpart 172.102.

IATA Lithium Battery Shipping Guidelines

State of Charge is the defined as the Ratio of the availability capacity Q(t) and the maximum possible charge that can be stored in a battery, i.e. the nominal capacity Qn. A fully charged battery has SOC 1 or 100% while a fully discharged battery has a SOC of 0 or 0%.

IATA Section 1A and 1B of Packing Instruction 965. Lithium ion cells and batteries must be offered for transport at a state of charge (SoC) not exceeding 30% of their rated capacity. Cells and/or batteries at a SoC 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 (Special Provision A331).

The section about IATA is written by Srinivasan Raman

For sea transport check IMDG Code and with respective shipping lines.

For air transport check IATA DGR and with respective airlines.