UK first as three firms join forces for the launch of game-changing battery fire technology pilot

The UK’s first pilot project using innovative technology to combat the threat of exploding lithium-ion batteries at waste and recycling handling centres is being launched in Hampshire.

Fareham firms Barnbrook Systems, Flair and TJ Waste & Recycling have joined forces for the game-changing initiative in Portsmouth.

It will be based on Barnbrook and Flair’s revolutionary E-bag system which allows batteries or their parent devices – such as mobile phones, laptops and e-cigarettes – 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 adapts to completely smother the battery or hardware once it has been placed inside – extinguishing flames or preventing ignition.

Now the E-bag, which is also fitted with Barnbrook’s BlueCube© tracking and monitoring sensors, is being adapted for trials at TJ Waste and Recycling’s Materials Recovery Facility at Tipner in Portsmouth.

It comes after a major blaze involving 117 tonnes of material at the centre on July 6 was believed to have been sparked by a lithium-ion battery.

According to latest figures from the British Safety Council ten people have died and 190 people have been injured from fires linked to lithium-ion batteries since 2020.

Andrew Barnett, Managing Director of 50-strong Barnbrook Systems, pictured left, said: “This is game-changing technology which can deal with the increasing threat from lithium-ion batteries.

“There have been a number of cases recently where they have caught fire, including within a passenger’s hand luggage which resulted in the evacuation of a passenger aircraft at Gatwick Airport in September.

“We are looking forward to working with TJ Waste & Recycling in the UK’s first trial of its kind using our E-bag technology which has the potential to save lives and money while supporting business continuity and enhancing community confidence.”

Global engineering solutions specialist Barnbrook has created the E-bag with fellow Fareham firm and micro-business Flair.

Andrew met with John Gosling, Managing Director of the TJ Group, which owns waste management specialist TJ Waste & Recycling, to discuss the pilot and how it would work.

John, pictured right, said: “There can be safety issues with lithium-ion batteries, caused when the battery’s temperature rises uncontrollably in a dangerous process known as thermal runaway, and any measures to remove risks from fires and explosions are very much welcomed.

“We look forward to working with Barnbrook Systems and Flair in this UK pilot project in the waste management sector.”

The idea is for operatives sifting materials at TJ Waste & Recycling to have purpose-made, portable bags in which they can place suspect or hazardous devices.

Once the bag is zipped up, it can be safely taken outside for processing.

There will also be a large sack into which bigger batteries or devices can be placed before it is lifted by forklift and removed by a disposal company.

Barnbrook, founded in 1978, is also in talks with a number of leading international airlines about use of the E-bag, which was launched at the Farnborough International Airshow in July.

According to latest figures, the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) received 65 reports of lithium-ion battery fires involving PEDs carried by passengers in 2023 – a 60 per cent increase on the previous year.

Figures from business insurer QBE, based on freedom of information requests to UK fire and rescue services, showed that there were 921 call outs to fires linked to lithium-ion batteries in 2023, an increase of 46 per cent on 2022.