Guidelines for Safe Maritime Transportation of Containerized Lithium Battery Energy Storage System in Xiamen Port (2.0 Edition)

Recently, the Xiamen Maritime Safety Administration, Xiamen Port Authority, Xiamen Municipal Bureau of Commerce, and Xiamen Free Trade Commission jointly issued the "Xiamen Port Containerized Lithium Battery Energy Storage System Maritime Safety Transport Guide (Version 2.0)" (referred to as "Guide 2.0"). As the upgraded iteration of the nation's first maritime safety transport guide for containerized lithium battery energy storage systems (referred to as containerized energy storage), this guide closely aligns with new trends and demands in the energy storage industry, systematically optimizing safety management standards for the entire maritime transport process. Its preliminary practical results have been promoted nationwide by the National Development and Reform Commission, providing a replicable and scalable "Xiamen experience" for standardized maritime export of domestic energy storage products.

In recent years, Xiamen Port has seen strong growth in containerized energy storage exports. Since 2026, over 860 units have been exported, representing a year-on-year growth of over 100%. Meanwhile, products are rapidly developing toward larger capacities and higher energy densities, with increasingly diverse carrier vessel types and higher maritime transport requirements. As new technologies such as sodium-ion batteries and hybrid batteries emerge rapidly, updates to the "International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code" and relevant national and industry standards have made the original guide's provisions less adaptable to increasingly diverse transport scenarios and product types.

To address this, the Xiamen Maritime Safety Administration and other departments systematically reviewed maritime pilot operation data, frontline regulatory practices, industry chain research findings, and enterprise feedback. Strictly benchmarking against the latest international rules and domestic standards, they completed the revision and release of "Guide 2.0" through industry discussions, expert reviews, and opinion collection. This revision balances cargo transport safety with industry export needs, expanding the scope to include sodium-ion batteries and hybrid battery products based on the original lithium battery energy storage system. It upgrades safety technical standards such as thermal runaway prevention and non-standard container inspection, refines guidelines for initial battery charge and real-time monitoring and warning, broadens transport adaptation scenarios, adds bulk transport control rules for multipurpose vessels, and details requirements for deck stacking, crew specialized training, and terminal operation qualifications. It also supports various transport modes such as land-sea intermodal and water-to-water transshipment.

Zheng Shifeng, Director of the Dangerous Goods and Pollution Prevention Division of the Xiamen Maritime Safety Administration, stated that "Guide 2.0" fully implements the full-chain safety regulatory requirements for shipborne dangerous goods, covering the entire process of product manufacturing, assembly, terminal operations, transport, and emergency response. On the basis of retaining the mature framework and basic safety requirements of the original version, it focuses on optimizing and upgrading in three key areas: product diversification, scenario diversification, and refined regulation. "The upgraded guide will effectively prevent and reduce safety risks in maritime transport of containerized energy storage, comprehensively enhance the standardization and convenience of maritime exports, and provide stronger, more efficient, and higher-quality service support for domestic new energy enterprises to explore international markets," Zheng Shifeng said.

The Municipal Bureau of Commerce stated that the release of "Guide 2.0" will help accelerate the transformation and upgrading of urban development in line with the city's "15th Five-Year Plan" and "3+1" overall framework, seize opportunities, create advantages, and achieve internal and external connectivity of the lithium battery industry centered on Xiamen, thereby contributing to the high-quality economic development of Xiamen.

In recent years, the Xiamen Maritime Safety Administration, together with the Xiamen Free Trade Commission, Xiamen Port Authority, and Xiamen Municipal Bureau of Commerce, has focused on key aspects such as port clearance and risk prevention, collaboratively improving supporting regulatory mechanisms, and continuously promoting the quality upgrade of the port business environment. The release of "Guide 2.0" will further strengthen the safety barrier for the high-quality overseas expansion of the energy storage industry, continuously enhance Xiamen Port's dual leading advantages in "technical standards + regulatory systems" in the field of containerized energy storage maritime transport, and support China's "new three" products in setting sail globally and navigating smoothly worldwide.