UN 3480: Shipping Standalone Lithium Ion Batteries

UN 3480 covers lithium ion batteries shipped on their own. Because there’s no device to consume the energy, standalone batteries carry some of the strictest handling of the lithium battery entries.

What UN 3480 covers

UN 3480 is the entry for standalone lithium ion cells and batteries, batteries moving through the supply chain by themselves, whether that’s a pallet of replacement packs or a single spare. It is a Class 9 dangerous good. If the same battery ships installed in, or packed with, its equipment, the entry becomes UN 3481 instead.

State of charge matters

By air, standalone lithium ion cells and batteries must be shipped at a state of charge of no more than 30% of rated capacity, whatever their size and whichever section of the packing instruction they ship under. A higher state of charge needs an approval from the State of origin and the State of the operator. Batteries are often shipped fully charged out of habit, and that alone gets a standalone lithium ion battery shipment held.

Full vs. lighter provisions

Lithium ion batteries are divided by watt hour rating into fuller and lighter regulatory provisions. Larger batteries move under the full dangerous goods requirements; smaller ones may qualify for lighter handling with quantity limits per package. The thresholds are set by the regulation for your mode; package limits, marks and documents differ by mode and are revised with each edition.

• Identify the watt hour rating of the cell and of the assembled battery.
• Apply the matching provision. This drives marks, documentation, and quantity limits.
• Keep the UN 38.3 test summary available; it is required across the supply chain.
• Apply the marks and labels your provision requires: the Class 9 lithium battery label on fully regulated packages, and the lithium battery mark where the provision calls for it (by air, Section IB needs both).