CEVA Logistics is reassuring clients in its ability to transport lithium batteries as it became the first logistics player to receive IATA’s new CEIV Lithium Battery certification for its air freight stations in Hong Kong and Amsterdam.
The company said it teamed up with IATA to support the development of the new certification programme given its experience in transporting batteries of all types and sizes. In the automotive industry, Ceva works with 14 of the 15 largest original equipment manufacturers to handle new electric vehicle (NEV) batteries.
The forwarder aims to offer a completely certified network to deliver air cargo services under its CEVA Batteries Solutions, and it plans to secure certifications for additional locations in Asia, Europe and the Americas. The forwarder will also offer contract logistics and freight management services in air, ground or ocean transport.for customers in the battery life cycle.
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The announcement of the new programme was made at the IATA annual World Cargo Symposium (WCS) in Dublin, Ireland.
“Lithium batteries are critical power sources for many consumer goods on which we all rely. And it is vital that we can ship them safely by air either with finished products or as components in global supply chains. That’s why we developed the CEIV Lithium Battery certification. It gives shippers and airlines assurance that certified logistic companies operate to the highest safety and security standards when shipping lithium batteries,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General.
Shipments of lithium batteries (alone or with finished products) must comply with well-established global safety standards for how they are manufactured, tested, packed, marked, labeled, and documented. These requirements are a key element of the IATA Lithium Battery Shipping Regulations (LBSR) and of the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations (DGR) which combine regulatory and operational input from industry and government experts, the company noted.
CEIV Lithium Battery is the fourth Center of Excellence for Independent Validators (CEIV) program from IATA and the first CEIV certification received by CEVA Logistics. The certification confirms a facility’s ability to properly handle and store lithium batteries and validate the training and expertise of on-site employees. Other specific certifications include those for pharma, live animals and perishables.
“IATA continues to lead the way in providing standards, regulations and guidelines to improve overall quality and safety in the air transport industry,” said Peter Penseel, COO of air freight at CEVA Logistics.
“This new certification gives customers even more confidence in our ability to safely and reliably transport their lithium batteries.”
