Dangers of exploding lithium-ion batteries highlighted as TJ Waste site gets ready to reopen after fire

TJ Waste and Recycling has hosted a special open-discussion event in Portsmouth with other waste management operators in the UK who face the risk of having insurance cover withdrawn if they don’t embrace fire suppression technology solutions at waste transfer facilities and recycling centres.

It was hosted in collaboration with global engineering solutions company Barnbrook Systems and Flair, a technology innovator working with Barnbrook Systems in a bid to help waste operators do all they can to combat the problem.

It comes as the £1.5m materials recovery facility for construction waste in Tipner is being rebuilt at after a major blaze in July was linked to an exploding lithium-ion battery used in electronic devices such as vapes, electric vehicles and scooters, smartphones and laptops.

They invited operatives in the UK’s waste and recycling sectors to hear in person what lessons for industry could be drawn from the fire, which had broken out in the early hours.

TJ’s managing director, John Gosling, chaired the meeting, held outside the new waste transfer facility due to open in early January.

He said: “Whilst fire detection systems worked at the Tipner site, it was too late because thermal runaway had already taken place from a lithium-ion battery buried in tons of waste, which in turn caught the roof material alight.

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“In line with latest best practice, we are installing a new range of measures, including thermal imaging technology and flame sensors, and will be trialling the E:BAG, which is an innovative product by Barnbrook Systems in conjunction with Flair.

“It is very much the hope of (the) attendees that regulators and industry can tackle the pressing issue of discarded batteries and how to transport and store them.

“To give scale to this problem, there are reportedly 360 million single-use vapes sold every year in the UK and many of them are being not disposed of safely even though they are electrical waste because of the lithium-ion batteries inside.”

The E:BAG, and larger E:BIN and E:CRATE, allows batteries or their parent devices – such as vapes, mobile phones and laptops – to be safely isolated and dealt with if overheating, smoking or on fire.

Nanotechnology has been used to create the E:BAG’s temperature sensitive smart fabric which smothers the battery or hardware once placed inside – preventing ignition and extinguishing flames.

The discussion group also explored how industrial-strength containers could be adapted with the suppression technology on a rental-type basis supplied by battery recyclers, as well as bags and bins that could be used on picking lines. Colour coding of lids, or markers, were also mooted, to warn operatives to take extra care when opening or moving bins.

Andrew Barnett, Barnbrook Systems’ managing director, based in Fareham added: “What became clear in (the) on-site meeting is that it can only be a matter of time before fire insurance cover is withdrawn if operators cannot prove they are deploying containment systems for used batteries in transportation and storage.

“It is all about improving risk management with batteries, with thought-provoking discussions on the use of cannons, fire and heat detection, nanotechnology and wetting agents to supress fires before they endanger the lives of workers and emergency responders and cause costly property damage.”

The E:BAG featured on the BBC’s flagship evening programme The One Show where a production crew filmed a demonstration of the innovative E:BAG in action at Barnbrook Systems’ headquarters in Fareham and shot scenes at the Tipner site.

It comes as the Lithium-ion Battery Safety Bill to improve the safe storage, use and disposal of lithium-ion batteries passes through its committee stage at the House of Lords.

Safety issues with lithium-ion batteries are caused when the battery’s temperature rises uncontrollably in a dangerous process known as thermal runaway. According to latest figures from the British Safety Council 10 people have died and 190 people have been injured from fires linked to lithium-ion batteries since 2020.