As part of the Victorian Government’s Fire Prevention Program, the environment portfolio (DELWP, EPA and Sustainability Victoria) is engaging with the Australian Battery Recycling Initiative and its members to more fully understand the issue of waste lithium-ion battery fire risks.
Katharine Hole, the ABRI CEO, and Libby Chaplin, the Battery Stewardship Council CEO, will attend a workshop on these issues being coordinated by the Vic EPA on 5 May. ABRI members with a particular issue in waste lithium-ion batteries are also welcome to attend. Further details are provided below. This includes the EPA contact for registering for the workshop
Context
Through the Fire Prevention Program the Victorian Government has received feedback from industry that waste lithium-ion batteries present a particular fire risk in the waste and recycling sector.
While waste fires result from a variety of ignition sources and contributing factors, the industry has specifically raised concerns about lithium-ion batteries and the difficulties they present for operators.
Therefore the environment portfolio is seeking industry perspectives to better inform their understanding of the nature and scale of the problem in the Victorian context. This understanding of the problem will inform the Victorian Government’s approach to preventing fires from waste lithium-ion batteries.
Request
ABRI and its members are invited to participate in a short (1 ½ hour) online workshop to unpack the issue of waste lithium-ion battery fires and to bring industry perspectives on the following:
- At what point do lithium-ion batteries become an issue?
- What has the industry done to date to prevent lithium-ion batteries from becoming a fire risk?
- What success have the industry had to date on preventing fire risks from lithium-ion batteries?
- What challenges have the industry had to date in preventing fire risk from lithium-ion batteries?
- In your view, what could happen to prevent fire risk from lithium-ion batteries?
- What examples do you have of lithium-ion batteries presenting a fire risk?
- What data or examples are you aware of to inform the discussion.
The workshop will be held via MS Teams on Wednesday 5 May 2021, 10:00am to 11:30am.
Please reply Ben Poole ben.poole@epa.vic.gov.au to advise whether a representative(s) from your organisation will be able to attend, and if so their contact details.
Following the session, the Victorian environment agencies will continue to work with industry to identify solutions to the source of the risk with regard to lithium-ion batteries, and the subsequent implementation of these solutions.
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