162 User’s Manual INNOMAR Parametric Sub-Bottom Profilers / SESWIN
162 Innomar Technologie GmbH (2023-01)
13.5 Shipping / Transport / Storage
13.5.1 Shall I remove / declare lithium batteries?
Q1: Are the lithium batteries within the system?
Q2: Do I need to remove any lithium batteries from the system for safe air freight?
Q3: Which labels on the package and which declarations (e.g. on AWB) are required?
Generally, all lithium cells and batteries are dangerous goods and need to be handled with care.
For transportation, especially by airfreight, there are international regulations and packing
instructions (PI) to conform with.
All INNOMAR SBP models with integrated data acquisition PC (“light”, “standard”, “medium-xx”,
“deep-xx”) do have a CMOS backup-battery (lithium-metal button-cell, type CR2030) built in (UN
3091 – Lithium metal batteries contained in equipment).
Usually all dangerous goods, including lithium cells and batteries, needs to be declared. But for
built-in button-cell batteries (like the PC CMOS backup battery) there is an exemption: “This
requirement does not apply to: packages containing only button cell batteries installed in
equipment (including circuit boards); and packages containing no more than four cells or two
batteries installed in equipment, where there are not more than two packages in the consignment”
(PI970 section II.2). Thus, declaration and labelling of the CMOS battery are not required.
Even if this exemption would not exist, a single built-in button cell would not be required to be
declared, because the amount of lithium contained is less than 1 g per cell (PI970 section II); one
CR2032 contains about 0.07 g lithium (from Varta MSDS).
Furthermore, removing this backup battery from the motherboard would cause damage to the
system, since the CMOS settings have usually been altered from the defaults and will be lost.
The CMOS backup-battery must not be removed, the SBP will not work properly with the
CMOS defaults!
Models with external data acquisition PC (“smart”, “compact”, “xx-usv”, “standard-rov”) may be
shipped with a laptop-type computer, which may have not only a CMOS backup battery (Lithium-
metal button-cell type CR2030, see above), but also a Lithium-ion battery for power. This (power)
battery needs not to be declared, if all of the following conditions apply (PI967 section II):
battery placed within the computer and no spare batteries placed in the package
(UN 3481 – Lithium ion batteries contained in equipment);
battery capacity less than 100 Wh (watt hours);
less than 2 batteries or 4 cells per package (larger batteries require completed “Lithium
Battery” mark;
maximum 5 kg net weight of lithium ion batteries per package;
less than 2 packages per consignment containing lithium batteries;
there are effective means of preventing accidental activation of the equipment.
Since these requirements are usually fulfilled, the laptop computers shipped along with the
INNOMAR SBPs need no lithium labelling and declaration, the consignment is allowed for
passenger and cargo aircrafts (PAX).
If there are more laptops or spare batteries within the consignment, labelling and declaration is
required and other packing instructions as well as cargo aircraft only (CAO) transport may apply.
Since regulations may change and are differently handled by the airlines, INNOMAR usually ships
laptops without any batteries. The topside unit needs mains power anyway and the control
computer can use the same power source.
Do not place lithium labels on packages if this is not required! Some freight forwarders will
refuse the consignment as “over declared”. Labelled packages have to be declared on the AWB
and a special shipper’s declaration might be required, too. In addition, in most cases transport
restrictions (like CAO – cargo aircraft only) and surcharges will apply.
More information can be found on the following web pages and PDF documents:
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