The BATTERY....Fear Me!

Is that a dry battery?  Is that a non-spillable battery?  Is that a lithium Ion battery?  No, it’s Batdog! (Yes, I know it should have been Superdog but that didn’t fit with our theme and Mischa didn’t like the tights).

In case you’ve been under a rock for the last 20 (very) odd years, we live in an age where pretty much everything has to be mobile, and therefore increasingly battery powered.  Why are lithium-ion batteries the go-to power source for high end equipment?  Because they’re rechargeable and have a high energy density.  In 2023 researchers succeeded in making a pouch-type lithium battery with an energy density exceeding an amazing 700 Wh/kg  (thankyou physicsworld.com).

But what does that mean?  It means that we can have small batteries that can drive a huge range of high-tech equipment for a long time.  It’s why your phone does not need to be the size and weight of a house brick to charge fast, retain a charge that lasts for days while you take photos, surf the internet, send texts, play games, check your emails, post on Instagram or Linkedin, whinge on Bluesky (since Twitter is dead to me) and occasionally, make a telephone call.  The good old lithium battery is unsurpassed when it comes to energy to size ratio.  So, the good news, unless you’re in transport, is they’re not going away any time soon.

It also means that the freight industry needs to be constantly vigilant for undeclared batteries in general cargo.  Not just lithium batteries, but wet acid or alkali batteries, non-spillable batteries and dry batteries (i.e. nickel cadmium or alkaline batteries).  For air freight, all batteries need to be declared to some degree.  Even if it’s only an alkaline battery in a remote control that is “Not Restricted as per IATA DGR SP A123”.  Ah yes, I need to put that on the AWB

Don’t forget that if you’d like to download, print and use the posters, clean versions (without our marketing blurb) can be found on our website  https://www.airsafe.com.au/if-movies-wer-e-about-dg

Batdog is here to remind us to question the contents for all shipments we sign for.  “Are there any batteries in that electrical equipment/tool box/personal effects/company material/aircraft parts/mining supplies etc?”  And if lithium ion batteries are being consigned for air transport, they need to be at an SoC of 30% or less.  Let’s get that in writing for maximum asset protection.

The Airsafe Team