The "List of Key Control New Pollutants (2023 Edition)" issued by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment has been implemented on March 1, 2023, and 14 new pollutants have been included in the scope of the key control list. its

Recently, the National Railway Administration, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, and China National Railway Group Co., Ltd. issued the "Guiding Opinions on Consumer Lithium Battery Cargo Railway Transportation."

It is clear that according to the regulations and standards such as the regulations on Safety Supervision and Administration of Railway dangerous goods Transport, consumer lithium battery goods such as lithium metal batteries (groups) with lithium content not more than 1g(2g) and lithium ion batteries (groups) with energy rating not more than 20Wh(100Wh) that meet the special provisions 78 and 79 of the Railway dangerous goods list shall not be transported as dangerous goods when transported by railway.

The original text reads as follows:

All regional railway supervision and administration bureaus, the competent departments of industry and information technology of all provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities directly under the Central Government, and cities under separate state planning, all railway bureau group companies, China Railway Container Company, China Railway Special Cargo Company, China Railway Express Company:

In order to thoroughly implement the decisions and deployments of the Party Central Committee and the State Council, better meet the needs of railway transportation of consumer lithium battery goods, and ensure the safety of railway transportation, in accordance with the Regulations on the Safety Supervision and Management of Railway Dangerous Goods Transportation and the List of Railway Dangerous Goods and other regulations and regulations According to the standard regulations, the following guiding opinions are put forward.

General 1. requirements

Guided by Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, thoroughly implement the spirit of the Party's 20th National Congress, based on the new development stage, complete, accurate and comprehensive implementation of the new development concept, coordinate development and safety, and further deepen the structural reform of the railway supply side. Expand the high quality and diversified supply of railway products and services, starting with standardizing railway transportation conditions, strengthening railway transportation safety management, strengthening railway transportation service guarantees, and coordinating the implementation of policies, guide the railway transportation of consumer lithium batteries, meet the needs of economy, timeliness and convenience of railway transportation of consumer lithium batteries, promote the cost reduction and efficiency of logistics transportation of consumer lithium batteries, ensure the stability and smooth supply chain of the industrial chain, and better serve the construction of a new development pattern.

2. clear consumer lithium battery cargo railway transport regulations

(I) consumer lithium battery cargo range. Consumer lithium battery goods refer to lithium metal batteries (groups) and lithium ion batteries (groups) goods that are mainly used in consumer electronic products such as mobile phones, portable computers, digital cameras, electric toys, and mobile power supplies. They belong to the ninth category of dangerous goods. The iron danger numbers in the "Railway Dangerous Goods List" (TB/T 30006-2022) are 91042, 91043, 91045, and 91046.

(II) rail transport regulations. According to the "Regulations on Safety Supervision and Administration of Railway Dangerous Goods Transport" and other regulations and standards, lithium metal batteries (groups) with lithium content not more than 1g(2g) and lithium ion batteries (groups) with energy rating not more than 20Wh(100Wh) and other consumer lithium battery goods that meet the special provisions 78 and 79 of the "Railway Dangerous Goods List" shall not be transported as dangerous goods when transported by rail.

In the case of railway transportation, it may be handled by the supporting parties in accordance with this guidance and the relevant provisions of railway freight transportation; when it is transported by international railway such as China-Europe trains, it shall also comply with the relevant provisions of international transport.

Consumer lithium batteries (such as those with defective safety, damaged, recycled or disposed of) that fall within the scope of Special Provisions 72 of the List of Dangerous Goods by Railway shall not be transported by rail.

(III) lithium battery production enterprise specification. Manufacturers of consumer lithium-ion batteries should meet the requirements of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology's "Lithium-ion Battery Industry Standard Conditions" and "Lithium-ion Battery Industry Standard Announcement Management Measures.

3. specification of railway transport conditions

(IV) strengthen product safety testing and identification of rail transport conditions. Consignment of consumer lithium batteries shall be subject to product safety testing and identification of railway transportation conditions.

The product safety test shall be conducted by a qualified testing organization in accordance with the requirements of Section 38.3 of Part III of the United Nations Manual of Tests and Criteria (hereinafter referred to as UN38.3 test), and the conclusion of the test report shall be clear whether the tested consumer lithium battery meets the UN38.3 test.

The identification of railway transportation conditions shall be conducted by an identification institution with the qualification of inspection and testing institution (CMA) and the accreditation of China National Accreditation Service for Conformity Assessment (CNAS) in accordance with the relevant regulations on railway transportation of dangerous goods. The conclusion of the identification report shall be clear: whether the iron hazard number of the identified lithium battery conforms to the special regulations 78 and 79 of the List of Dangerous Goods by Railway, and whether it can not be transported as dangerous goods, whether the lithium-ion battery manufacturer meets the requirements of the lithium-ion battery industry standard conditions.

(V) strengthen the inspection of goods packaging. The railway transport packaging of consumer lithium batteries shall comply with the provisions of the Railway Transport Packaging of Dangerous Goods (TB/T 2687-2020), meet the basic technical requirements and performance test requirements, and pass the drop test and stacking test. The railway transport packaging shall be inspected and qualified by an inspection institution with corresponding qualifications.

(VI) strengthen the management of consignment. When the shipper submits the transportation demand, it shall truthfully declare the name of the goods, and if it meets the conditions for railway transportation of consumer lithium batteries, it shall indicate in the column of the shipper's record that "the name of the goods (iron danger number) conforms to the special provisions 78 and 79, and shall not be transported as dangerous goods". When consigning lithium-ion batteries and battery packs (iron risk number 91045), the shipper shall ensure that the state of charge (SOC) of the battery does not exceed 30% of the rated capacity of the battery.

Before consignment, the shipper shall submit the product safety test report, railway transportation condition appraisal report, railway transportation packaging inspection report, safety commitment and emergency response measures to the railway transportation enterprise, and shall be responsible for the authenticity of the materials provided and the safety of lithium battery goods.

4. Strengthening Railway Transportation Safety Management

(VII) strengthen the carrier check. When a railway transport enterprise carries a consumer lithium battery, it shall strengthen the training of transport-related practitioners, check the identity of the shipper and the relevant information submitted by the shipper in accordance with the regulations, conduct safety inspections on the goods carried in accordance with the regulations, and shall not carry goods that have not been subject to safety inspections in accordance with the regulations.

(VIII) strengthen transport organization. Vehicles and containers with good technical conditions shall be selected for shipment of consumer lithium batteries, and the loading of goods shall comply with the relevant provisions of the Technical Requirements for Reinforcement of Railway Cargo Loading (TB/T 30004-2021), so as to prevent the movement, extrusion, overturning, collapse or fall of goods during transportation, and ensure the safety of cargo transportation. The loading and unloading of consumer lithium batteries shall comply with the relevant provisions of railway cargo handling safety technology. Loading of railway vehicles with consumer lithium batteries is prohibited.

(IX) strengthen emergency management. Consumer lithium battery railway loading and unloading and storage sites should be equipped with the nature of the goods to adapt to the fire equipment and safety protection equipment. In the event of an emergency, the railway transport enterprise shall, together with the shipper or consignee, take appropriate emergency measures in a timely manner and report to the relevant departments in accordance with the provisions.

(X) strengthen safety supervision. The railway supervision and administration bureaus of all regions should, in combination with the actual situation of their respective jurisdictions, strengthen the safety supervision of railway transportation of consumer lithium batteries, timely grasp the situation of railway transportation, strengthen joint law enforcement with relevant departments of local governments, and increase the investigation and punishment of illegal transportation behaviors such as concealment and false declaration of product names, so as to ensure the safety and smooth flow of railway transportation. Local departments in charge of industry and information technology should strengthen the standardized management of lithium-ion battery production enterprises in the region, and guide enterprises to carry out production and operation in accordance with the policy requirements of the "Standard Conditions for the Lithium-ion Battery Industry.

5. Strengthen Railway Transport Service Guarantee

(11) Strengthen policy advocacy. Railway transport enterprises should strengthen the publicity of consumer lithium battery railway transport policies and relevant regulations and standards through various ways, do a good job in answering questions on hot issues, revealing publicity, business handling consultation, etc., to help shippers and the public grasp the specific conditions and safety requirements of consumer lithium battery railway transport in a timely and accurate manner, properly respond to social concerns, and create a good atmosphere.

(12) Optimize transportation services. Railway transport enterprises should adhere to the idea of people-centered development, strengthen the guarantee of transport capacity, optimize transport organization, enrich freight products, innovate service models, improve the speed of cargo delivery, and improve the inquiry service of goods in transit information. we will constantly improve the quality and efficiency of transport services and better serve the national strategy and the production and life of the people.

6. overall planning to promote policy implementation

(13) Establish and improve working mechanisms. The railway supervision and administration bureaus of all regions, the competent departments of industry and information technology of all provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities directly under the Central Government, and cities under separate state planning, and railway transportation enterprises should establish and improve working mechanisms, give full play to the professional advantages of all parties, and dynamically grasp the needs of consumer lithium battery manufacturers and railway transportation. Situation, coordinate and solve problems in railway transportation in a timely manner.

(14) Strengthen daily supervision and guidance. The regional railway supervision and administration bureaus shall, in conjunction with relevant departments and units, coordinate the railway transportation of consumer lithium batteries, and strengthen policy guidance, work coordination and supervision of implementation. Railway transport enterprises should strengthen the business guidance of railway freight handling stations, refine and improve the business process, operating standards and management system, and promote the implementation of consumer lithium battery railway transport policies.

Appendix: Special Provisions 78, 79 and 72 of List of Railway Dangerous Goods (TB/T 30006-2022)

Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of the State Railway Administration China National Railway Group Corporation

11 October 2023

Appendix Special Provisions 78, 79 and 72 of List of Railway Dangerous Goods (TB/T 30006-2022)

78. All of the following requirements should be met:

a) Each cell or battery type has been verified to meet the test requirements of section 38.3 of the United Nations Recommendations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods, Manual of Tests and Criteria, Part 3 (Revision 7).

B) Each cell and battery pack is equipped with a safety vent, or is designed to prevent bursting under normal transportation conditions.

c) Each battery and battery pack is equipped with an effective external short circuit protection device.

d) Each battery pack consisting of multiple cells or series of cells connected in parallel shall be assembled in an effective manner (e. g. diodes, fuses, etc.) to prevent dangerous reverse currents when necessary.

e) Lithium battery packs containing both lithium metal batteries and rechargeable lithium ion batteries cannot be externally charged in design. Such battery packs shall meet the following conditions:

1) Rechargeable lithium-ion batteries can only be charged from lithium metal batteries;

2) Overcharging of rechargeable lithium-ion batteries is excluded from the design;

3) The battery pack has been tested as a non-rechargeable battery pack;

4) Each cell type in the battery pack shall conform to the test requirements of Section 38.3 of Part 3 of the Recommendations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods (7th Revision) for the respective type.

f) Except for button cells installed on equipment (including circuit boards), the manufacturer and post-factory distributor of cells or battery packs manufactured after June 30, 2003 shall provide the test description specified in paragraph 38.3.5 of Section 38.3 of Part 3 of the Recommendation Test and Criteria Manual on the Transport of Dangerous Goods (7th Revision).

79. Subject to the requirements of special regulation 78, batteries or batteries shall not be transported as dangerous goods if they meet the following requirements:

a) For lithium metal or lithium alloy batteries, the lithium content is less than or equal to 1g. For lithium-ion batteries, the watt-hour rating is less than or equal to 20Wh.

B) For lithium metal or lithium alloy batteries, the total lithium content is less than or equal to 2g. For lithium-ion battery packs, the watt-hour rating is less than or equal to 100Wh. The lithium-ion battery pack shall be marked with a watt-hour rating on the housing.

c) Batteries and battery packs, except for installation on the equipment, should be completely wrapped in inner packaging. Cells and batteries shall be protected against short-circuiting, including contact with conductive materials in the same package, which may cause short-circuiting. The inner packing shall be placed inside a strong outer packing.

d) The batteries and battery packs installed on the equipment shall be protected from damage and short circuit, and the equipment shall be equipped with effective devices to prevent accidental start-up. This requirement does not apply to units that are in working condition during transport and do not cause dangerous heat generation. When the battery pack is installed on the equipment, the equipment should use a strong outer packaging. The packaging should be made of suitable materials with sufficient strength and designed to meet the capacity and purpose of the packaging, unless the equipment on which the battery pack is installed has equivalent protection.

e) Each package shall be affixed with a lithium battery marking in accordance with Section 5.2.1.9 of the Model Regulations of the Recommendations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods (22nd Revision).

Except for the following:

1) The package is only a button battery installed on the device (including the circuit board);

2) There are only less than or equal to 4 batteries installed on the equipment or 2 battery packs in the package, and the package of each batch of goods is less than or equal to 2.

f) Except for the battery pack installed on the equipment, when each package is subjected to a 1.2m drop test in any direction, the battery or battery pack contained therein shall not be damaged, and the contents shall not move, so that the battery pack and the battery pack (or battery and battery) contact each other, and no contents are released.

g) The total weight of each package shall not exceed 30kg, except when the battery pack is installed on or packaged with the equipment.

h) Indicate on the shipping document "Name of the goods (iron danger number), in accordance with special provisions 79, not as dangerous goods transport".

When the special provisions of this article are met, it is not necessary to meet the special provisions 1.

72. The following lithium batteries should not be transported: lithium batteries with defective safety; lithium batteries that are damaged and can cause potential heat, fire or short circuit (e. g. lithium batteries that have been recalled by the manufacturer for safety reasons); spent lithium batteries and lithium batteries transported for recycling or disposal purposes.