Transporting and Storing Lithium-Ion Batteries

Hazards, Regulations and Innovations in South Africa

Lithium-ion batteries have become ubiquitous in modern life, powering everything from smartphones and laptops to electric vehicles and solar storage systems. But along with their benefits comes a serious challenge: these batteries pose fire and safety risks and are classified as dangerous goods for transport. This article explores how lithium-ion batteries are handled under South African regulations (notably SANS 10228, which classifies them as Class 9 hazardous materials), compares local rules with global standards like Europe’s ADR, and examines the unique fire and environmental hazards they present, especially the nightmare scenario of a thermal runaway. We also discuss why conventional firefighting methods often struggle against battery fires and highlight a new passive fire protection solution, PyroBubbles®, developed by the German-based Genius Group and distributed by PyroBrand in Africa. Finally, we look at the Genius Boxes, specialised containers for lithium-ion battery storage and transport, which carry international certifications (UN and EN standards) that make them compliant with South African laws for Class 9 goods. The goal is to inform safety officers, logistics professionals, regulators, and the public about safer ways to transport and store these powerful but potentially hazardous batteries in an objective and factual manner.

Lithium-Ion Batteries as Class 9 Dangerous Goods

In South Africa, the transportation of dangerous goods is governed by national standards aligned with international regulations. Lithium-ion batteries are officially classified as Class 9: Miscellaneous dangerous substances and articles, including environmentally hazardous substances in SANS 10228, the South African standard for identifying and classifying dangerous goods. Class 9 is a category for hazards that don’t fit neatly into other classes. In this case, lithium batteries pose a combination of chemical and energetic risks rather than flammability or toxicity alone. Being Class 9 means that any significant shipment of lithium-ion batteries (for example, bulk batteries or batteries not installed in equipment) must adhere to strict transport requirements, including the use of appropriate labels, documentation, and packaging.

This local classification mirrors international practice. SANS 10228 is a mandatory standard and is referenced in the Occupational Health and Safety Act, 1993 (Act No. 85 of 1993), the National Environmental Management: Waste Act, 2008 (Act No. 59 of 2008), the National Road Traffic Act, 1996 (Act No. 93 of 1996), and the National Health Act, 2003 (Act No. 61 of 2003). Compliance with these frameworks is mandatory for domestic and international shipments. SANS 10228 is harmonised with the United Nations' Recommendations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods system, meaning if you follow SANS 10228, you are largely in line with UN and local codes. In essence, whether you are shipping a pallet of batteries from Johannesburg to Cape Town or importing and exporting overseas, the batteries are recognised as dangerous goods and must be handled with the same mandatory requirements.

A key requirement across these regulations is proper packaging. Damaged, defective or bulk lithium-ion cells cannot just be thrown into ordinary boxes. They typically must be packed in UN-approved containers that have passed rigorous tests (drop tests, puncture tests, etc.) to ensure they can contain the contents even if things go wrong. South African law, through SANS 10228 and related standards (like SANS 10229 for packaging), mandates UN-specification packaging for Class 9 dangerous goods, which effectively means any container used to transport lithium batteries must carry appropriate UN markings indicating it has passed these safety tests. This is a recognition that lithium batteries can fail catastrophically, and the packaging is the last line of defence.

Fire and Environmental Hazards of Lithium-Ion Batteries

Why are lithium-ion batteries treated with such caution? The answer lies in what can happen when a battery fails. Under normal conditions, a lithium-ion cell is safe and sealed. But physical damage, manufacturing defects, overheating, overcharging, or short-circuits can all trigger a failure mode known as thermal runaway. In a thermal runaway event, the battery’s internal temperature rapidly rises out of control, causing the stored chemical energy to release suddenly as heat, fire, and sometimes an explosion. Essentially, the battery starts to fuel itself. The heat causes more of the battery’s components to decompose and react, which generates even more heat in a dangerous feedback loop.

One frightening aspect of lithium battery fires is how little warning they may give and how fast things escalate. A cell can go from normal to on fire in seconds, with no gradual lead-up. The fire that results tends to burn extremely hot and can spread quickly to nearby cells. For instance, an electric vehicle battery fire (which is a large assembly of lithium-ion cells) can burn at around 2,760°C, much hotter than a typical petrol fire, and may require ten times more water to put out than a gasoline car fire. Even smaller battery packs or individual cells burn fiercely once ignited.

The environmental and health hazards of a lithium-ion battery fire are also severe. Unlike an ordinary fire that produces “smoke” (mostly carbon particulates), a battery fire can vent a cocktail of toxic and corrosive gases. The rapid decomposition of the battery’s electrolyte and other components releases substances like carbon monoxide, various hydrocarbons, and often significant amounts of hydrogen fluoride (HF), a highly toxic gas that turns into hydrofluoric acid on contact with moisture. These vapours are harmful to breathe and can corrode equipment or structures. What looks like smoke from a battery fire may actually be a dense cloud of poisonous gas and aerosolised electrolyte. First responders have noted that the usual advice of “stay low under smoke” can backfire with lithium batteries, since some of these gases are heavier than air and will accumulate low to the ground. From an environmental perspective, any water used to fight a lithium battery blaze can become contaminated with dissolved metals and toxic compounds, essentially turning into hazardous waste.

Perhaps most troubling, a lithium-ion fire can be difficult to extinguish with conventional tools. The battery’s internal chemistry provides its own oxidiser, meaning simply smothering the fire (as you would a grease fire) might not work because the reaction doesn’t need outside oxygen. Traditional fire suppressants like foam or dry chemical powder might knock down the flames temporarily, but they often can’t cool the battery enough or stop the ongoing chemical reaction inside. Water is commonly recommended to cool lithium-ion fires, and indeed, massive amounts of water can eventually quell the flames and cool the cells, but using water comes with caveats. If not enough water is applied, or not applied early, it doesn’t stop the runaway; instead, it can short-circuit more cells and even produce flammable hydrogen gas from certain battery components. Water can also react to form HF acid, as mentioned, posing a chemical hazard to firefighters. In many cases, fire crews have resorted to a defensive strategy: isolate the burning battery and protect surrounding exposures until the battery burns itself out, because direct extinguishing is too challenging.

All of these factors, intense heat, toxic fumes, and difficulty extinguishing, explain why transporting and storing lithium-ion batteries safely is such a priority. An accident or improper handling can lead not only to a fire, but a fire that is extraordinarily hard to manage and dangerous to people and the environment.

Passive Fire Protection Solutions for Battery Risks

Given the limitations of traditional firefighting methods against lithium battery fires, attention has turned toward preventative and passive fire protection strategies. The idea is to mitigate the impact of a battery fire before it starts or as soon as it starts, rather than simply reacting with hoses and extinguishers after the fact. This is where innovations like PyroBubbles® come into play.

PyroBubbles® is an engineered extinguishing and insulating material developed by Genius Group in Germany. It looks like a fine, lightweight granular product (imagine very small ceramic beads). These granules, essentially, are a form of glass and have some remarkable properties that make them well-suited to combat lithium battery fires in a passive way.

PyroBubbles® granules, a lightweight, non-combustible glass-based material, can encapsulate lithium-ion batteries to suppress fires and absorb heat.

Firstly, PyroBubbles® are completely non-combustible. In fact, they are certified as an A1-rated building material for fire resistance under DIN 4102 and EN 13501 (the highest rating, meaning they do not contribute to a fire at all). This was recently confirmed through South African testing as well, Local fire tests showed PyroBubbles® meets the SANS 11820 non-combustibility criteria, corresponding to an A1 classification (A1–s1,d0, indicating no combustibility, little to no smoke, and no flaming droplets). In practical terms, if you surround something in PyroBubbles®, you’re putting it in an inert, fire-rated envelope.

Secondly, these granules have high thermal stability. They can withstand temperatures of around 1,050 °C before they begin to melt. And if they do encounter extreme heat beyond that, they melt and then re-solidify into a glassy crust, which actually forms an insulating layer over the fire. This behaviour effectively smothers flames and blocks heat transfer, the fire is sealed off by a “ceramic” shell that the melting PyroBubbles® create around the burning object. In a lithium battery thermal runaway, this can prevent the fire from spreading to nearby cells or equipment.

Another critical property is their ability to absorb and contain hazardous substances. PyroBubbles® granules are highly porous and have low density (about 8–10 times lighter than sand). They will float on liquids and can soak up spilt electrolytes or other flammable liquids, binding them inside the granules. Tests by Germany’s BAM (Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing) showed that PyroBubbles® can filter and trap electrolyte fluid effectively. Moreover, when a battery goes into failure and vents gases, the granules help condense and adsorb those vapours. In fact, it’s claimed that PyroBubbles® can absorb up to 85% of the toxic vapours released during a lithium-ion battery thermal runaway event. This dramatically reduces the amount of harmful gas escaping into the environment.

PyroBubbles® are also electrically insulating, which is important around live battery terminals, and hydrophobic (they do not absorb water and won’t dissolve or turn to mush in humid conditions). They don’t age quickly or degrade and require no special maintenance. An added bonus is that after a fire incident, the granules can often be collected, cleaned, and reused, making them a cost-effective and eco-friendly solution in the long run.

All these technical advantages make PyroBubbles® a powerful tool for passive fire protection. Instead of fighting a lithium battery fire with water or foam from the outside, you embed the battery itself in PyroBubbles® (for example, filling the space around cells or battery packs with the granules). If the battery overheats or ignites, the PyroBubbles® immediately go to work: they insulate surrounding objects from the heat, they suppress flames by denying the fire oxygen and absorbing energy, and they soak up toxic emissions. Essentially, the battery is forced to “self-extinguish” in a controlled way. This concept has been proven in numerous fire tests. Germany’s Materials Testing Agency Dresden (MPA Dresden) tested PyroBubbles® and certified them as an effective extinguishing agent for lithium battery fires, as well as for other classes of fire (solid combustibles, flammable liquids, burning metals, and even cooking oil fires, corresponding to fire classes A, B, D, and F in European standards.

It’s worth noting that PyroBubbles® is a passive protection measure; it doesn’t actively cool a battery like a water sprinkler would, but it passively contains and mitigates the fire. In many scenarios (warehouses, transport containers, etc.), this passive approach is actually preferable because it works without needing human intervention and can prevent a small incident from turning into a large inferno.

Pyro Brand (Pty) Ltd, the distributor of PyroBubbles® in Africa, has been working to ensure this product meets all local requirements. As mentioned, recent South African lab tests (conducted by Ignis Fire Testing) have validated that PyroBubbles® matches its European credentials, passing fire resistance tests and earning the same A1 classification for non-combustibility under SANS standards. This ongoing local certification effort is to give South African regulators and users confidence that the material performs as advertised under local testing protocols, paving the way for its wider adoption in fire safety plans.

Safe Storage and Transport: The Genius Boxes for Lithium Batteries

While PyroBubbles® by itself is sold as a loose extinguishing and packing material, Genius Group has integrated this material into ready-to-use solutions, notably the “Genius Boxes” for lithium-ion batteries. These are specialised containers designed for the safe storage and transport of lithium-ion battery packs or cells, especially those that are damaged, defective, or otherwise at risk. Essentially, they are high-tech safety boxes lined or filled with PyroBubbles®.

An UN-certified Genius battery container for lithium-ion batteries, designed for transport and storage. The robust box is lined with PyroBubbles® and fitted with secure latches and straps.

The concept is straightforward: if you have a lithium-ion battery that’s not in use (for example, a prototype battery in a lab, a recalled laptop battery, or an EV battery module that needs to be shipped), you place it inside a Genius Box, which provides a controlled, safe environment. Inside the box, the battery is surrounded by PyroBubbles® – sometimes packed as loose granulate, other times contained in breathable pouches or cushions that will rupture and release the granules if heat rises. The box itself is built to be tough and heat-resistant, with features like pressure-relief valves (to vent gases safely and prevent pressure buildup) and secure locking mechanisms. In the event that the battery fails and goes into thermal runaway inside the box, the PyroBubbles® immediately react to contain the fire: test have concluded that they absorb flames and energy, so much so that the outside of the box stays relatively cool (tests show the exterior wall temperatures stay well below 100°C even during a battery fire inside). The design prevents fire from escaping; no flames shooting out, no exploding cell projectiles flying away. Toxic fumes are filtered by the PyroBubbles® and vented in a controlled manner, greatly minimising any release of dangerous smoke. In many cases, a fire can be completely contained and even extinguished within the box itself, with little to no damage outside the box.

These Genius Boxes come in various sizes, from small portable cases (for things like power tools or laptop batteries) up to large industrial crates that can hold heavy EV battery modules or multiple batteries. They are built with practical features for users: for instance, the smaller ones have handles and straps for easy carrying, and even options to allow charging a battery while it’s safely enclosed (using special cable pass-throughs and ventilation so you can charge an e-bike or power tool battery inside the box without opening it). The larger containers are stackable for efficient storage and have inner baskets and padding to secure the battery in place, surrounded by the correct thickness of PyroBubbles® on all sides.

Crucially, the Genius Boxes have been rigorously tested and certified to international standards for dangerous goods packaging. They have undergone at least 40 full-scale fire and safety tests during development. As a result, they carry UN markings and approvals for the transport of lithium batteries (Class 9). For example, some of the Genius containers have a UN packaging code (like 4H2/Y** etc. for certain weight limits) and have been approved by BAM in Germany. They comply with relevant packing instructions and special provisions in the ADR and other regulations, such as ADR P911 and LP906, which specifically address packaging for damaged/critical lithium batteries. In practical terms, this means if you use a Genius Box to ship a lithium-ion battery, you are meeting the requirements of European and international dangerous goods laws – and therefore also South African law, which recognises those UN packaging approvals. South African transport regulations require that packaging for dangerous goods like lithium batteries be UN-approved and, where applicable, also meet any EN standards or international testing standards. Since the Genius Boxes already hold UN certification and have been tested to European norms, they can be used “as-is” under South African regulations for transporting Class 9 batteries. There is no need to reinvent packaging locally if a proven certified solution exists; SANS 10228 and associated standards essentially say “use UN-approved containers”, and these are exactly that.

Another point worth highlighting is that the Genius Boxes serve a dual role: safe transport and safe storage. Often, companies or labs end up with lithium batteries that need to be stored for a period (for quarantine, observation, or simply awaiting proper disposal). Leaving such batteries on a shelf is risky, as they could spontaneously ignite. The Genius Boxes allow such batteries to be stored long-term with minimal risk, since any fire would be contained. Because the containers are reusable, a company can use them as a preventive safety measure in their facility, essentially as a battery safe, and then when it comes time to move those batteries, the very same container becomes the shipping package, already compliant for road or sea transport. This is a big advantage for logistics and safety officers managing battery inventories.

Trusted by the Electric Vehicle Industry

The adoption of PyroBubbles® by leading automotive manufacturers such as VW, Porsche, and Mercedes-Benz further underscores its effectiveness and reliability in managing lithium-ion battery risks. These companies have integrated PyroBubbles® into both the manufacturing and testing phases of their electric vehicle (EV) development programmes. This isn’t just about compliance, it’s about engineering confidence in safety-critical systems.

During the battery validation process, where modules are subjected to abuse testing, including thermal runaway simulations, PyroBubbles® are used to contain the test environment and ensure that any resulting fires are safely managed. Additionally, EV manufacturers are using PyroBubbles® in the design of battery storage and transport infrastructure across their production facilities, from prototype labs to assembly lines. Their decision to rely on this material is a clear endorsement of its fire suppression, vapour containment, and thermal shielding properties.

This widespread adoption within the premium EV sector reinforces the growing recognition that PyroBubbles® is not just a reactive measure, but a proactive engineering control, one that aligns with international safety requirements and offers tangible protection for high-value assets. It also highlights the material’s versatility: whether embedded in Genius Boxes, layered around battery racks, or applied in mobile test environments, PyroBubbles® delivers consistent, passive fire protection that automakers trust.

Towards Safer Battery Logistics and Storage

As South Africa and the world embrace more lithium-ion technology (from electric cars and renewable energy storage to hordes of personal devices), the challenges of safely transporting and storing these batteries can only be expected to grow. High-profile incidents from cargo trucks catching fire, to warehouse blazes, to container ship disasters, have underscored that lithium-ion batteries demand respect and careful handling. Regulators have responded by tightening rules (hence the Class 9 classification and packaging mandates), but regulation alone doesn’t eliminate the risk; it simply manages it. It’s incumbent on companies and safety professionals to adopt the best tools and practices available to actually reduce the danger.

In this context, solutions like PyroBubbles® and the Genius Boxes represent significant innovations. They bring engineering controls into the equation. Rather than relying on firefighting after a fire starts, they aim to prevent or contain the fire at the source. By using an inert, thermal insulating medium (the PyroBubbles®) and a sturdy enclosure, the worst-case scenario of a battery fire can be drastically mitigated. Tests and real-world use have shown that a battery popping off in one of these boxes is a non-event: no cascade of explosions, no toxic plume filling the building, no high-pressure blast, just a ruined battery and a mess to clean up inside the box. That is a vastly better outcome than what could happen otherwise.

It’s important to maintain a neutral perspective and recognise that no single solution is a silver bullet. Even with the best containers, good practices are still required: avoiding physical damage to batteries, not overcharging them, inspecting for any recall or defect issues, and training personnel in proper handling. Firefighters and emergency responders still need protocols for dealing with lithium battery incidents (and organisations should inform them if large quantities are stored on site). But incorporating passive safeguards like PyroBubbles® can buy precious time and prevent small incidents from becoming disasters.

In South Africa, the fire safety community is actively evaluating these new technologies. The fact that PyroBubbles® is undergoing local testing for local approval shows a commitment to aligning with global best practices. Regulators are likely to welcome solutions that demonstrably increase safety, as long as they meet the required standards. For those in logistics and warehousing, using UN-approved battery containers is not just about compliance but also about risk management – potentially avoiding costly accidents, liability, and damage to reputation.

For the general public, awareness is also key. Many people are not aware that throwing a swollen phone battery in the trash, or chucking an e-bike battery in the back of a car, can have serious consequences. Public education on proper battery disposal and transport (even at the consumer level) will further reduce incidents. Initiatives by industry and government to provide safe collection points and to encourage the use of proper packaging, even in recycling transport, are important.

In conclusion, the transportation and storage of lithium-ion batteries in South Africa is tightly governed because of very real dangers. By following standards like SANS 10228 (Class 9 classification and handling) and using internationally certified packaging, stakeholders can greatly minimise the risks. New solutions such as PyroBubbles® and the Genius Boxes offer an added layer of protection, effectively containing battery fires at the source and overcoming the limits of conventional firefighting. As these innovations gain recognition and certification in South Africa, they are poised to become a staple of battery safety strategy, protecting people, property, and the environment from the hazards of thermal runaway. It’s a smart example of combining regulatory compliance with technological innovation to tackle a modern fire safety challenge head-on.