Lithium batteries are subject to various regulations and directives in the European Union that concern safety, substances, documentation, labelling, and testing. These requirements are primarily found under the Batteries Regulation, but additional regulations, directives, and standards are also relevant to lithium batteries.
In Canada, CSA certification; in Europe, IEC certification. These types of certification are not limited to lithium-based chemistries. If your end product will be certified, it is likely the battery will need to follow that certification path.
The General Product Safety Regulation covers safety aspects of a product, including lithium batteries, which are not covered by other regulations. Although there are harmonised standards under the regulation, we could not find any that specifically relate to batteries.
It should be noted that if you intend to ship lithium batteries regardless if they have been pre-certified, your shipping division must have IATA certification. Your carrier will not process lithium shipments if your shipping department is not current on the required IATA certification.
Costs can vary widely, with UL certification ranging from $15,000 to $20,000, while UN38.3 certification may cost between $5,000 and $7,000. What are the critical certifications for lithium-ion batteries? Key certifications include UL, IEC, CE Marking, UN38.3, KC, CB, PSE, and RoHS, each addressing different aspects of safety and compliance.
Warning signs that a lithium-ion battery or cell is likely to fail include: smoke (sign of thermal runaway). Until the safe disposal of lithium batteries is more heavily regulated it is important to take care when dealing with waste lithium batteries.