Need to accelerate action to increase safety across the battery value chain

Recent lithium battery fires are a warning bell that work across the battery value chain needs to be accelerated and coordinated to support safe and sustainable clean energy outcomes according to the Association for the Battery Recycling Industry (ABRI).

Lithium battery fires are a growing global challenge and across Australia to March 2023 there were 450 fires attributed to lithium batteries.

While in recent EV incidents in NSW there was property loss, fortunately there were no injuries and investigations are continuing.

ABRI Chief Executive Officer Katherine Hole said: “Pleasingly there’s a lot of work being done across industry and government. There are great initiatives underway. ABRI strongly supports the work of NSW Fire and Rescue’s Safety of Alternative and Renewable Technologies team and is participating in this program.

“More coordinated action is needed focusing on each market segment – EV, battery energy storage and consumer batteries – to support logistics and recycling – as the number of end-of-life batteries will increase significantly over the next decade; by 1,000s of percent.”