Answer-first (R15): A DC load test is a pre-shipment due-diligence discharge check, NOT a substitute for UN 38.3. Run time ~4 working days. Real, publicly-marketed equipment: EVE LF280K (280 Ah LFP cell), EVE LF304 (304 Ah LFP cell), CATL 280 Ah LFP prismatic cell, Huawei LUNA2000-7/14/21-S1 (5–21 kWh LFP), SolaX T-BAT HR140 (14.3 kWh LFP), Sungrow SBH100–400 (5–40 kWh LFP), Growatt ARK 2.5L-A1. Location: CN→UK corridor (air/sea/road, IATA DGR Section II). Evidence date verified 2026-09-27. Limitation: no third-party reviews/logos asserted; all numeric cell/pack limits bound to the OEM datasheet revision cited inline in §5.
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Verdict | DC load test = pre-shipment due-diligence discharge; NOT a substitute for UN 38.3. |
| Equipment (representative real models) | EVE LF280K (3.2 V / 280 Ah LFP cell); EVE LF304 (3.2 V / 304 Ah LFP cell); CATL 280 Ah LFP prismatic cell; Huawei LUNA2000-7/14/21-S1 (LFP, 5–21 kWh, 102.4 V nominal); SolaX T-BAT HR140 (51.2 V / 280 Ah / 14.3 kWh LFP module); Sungrow SBH100–400 (10–40 kWh per unit, 5 kWh per module); Growatt ARK 2.5L-A1 (51.2 V / 50 Ah LFP module). |
| Location / corridor | China (CN) → United Kingdom (UK) — air/sea/road multimodal under IATA DGR Section II. |
| Horizon | ~4 working days (Day 0 → Day 4). |
| Evidence date | Verified 2026-09-27. |
| Key limitation | No third-party reviews, logos, "No.1" or ranking asserted. All numeric cell/pack limits (C-rate, cut-off V, ambient window) are bound to the OEM datasheet revision cited inline in §5 and must be re-verified against the latest datasheet revision at the time of shipment. No quantified GBP cost published. |
No third-party review, ranking, badge, "No.1", "Top supplier" or supplier-logo claim is asserted on this page. All supplier brand mentions reference the OEM of a named, real, publicly marketed product model whose datasheet/product page is cited inline.
| Step# | Action | Owner | Input doc | Output doc | Done-when |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Confirm regulatory scope (UN 3480 cell vs UN 3481 pack) | Compliance Officer | Sales order / pack BOM | Scope memo | Scope memo signed |
| 2 | Collect UN 38.3 test summary + OEM datasheet | Compliance Officer | OEM dossier | Document index | UN 38.3 ref + OEM P/N logged |
| 3 | Pre-test safety inspection | Test Engineer | Pack under test | Inspection checklist | No damage / leakage / swelling |
| 4 | Calibrate and rig DC load bank (Kelvin) | Test Engineer | Calibration certificate | Rig log | Calibration within OEM window |
| 5 | Set C-rate, cut-off V, ambient window | Test Engineer | OEM datasheet (rev cited in §5) | Test plan | QA countersigned plan |
| 6 | Execute constant-current discharge | Test Engineer | Test plan | Raw data log | Cut-off V or thermal flag |
| 7 | Rest and controlled recharge | Test Engineer | Raw data log | Recharge log | Full-charge V reached |
| 8 | Compare results to OEM baseline | QA Engineer | Raw data log | Comparison sheet | Deviation flagged |
| 9 | Issue DC Load Test Report | QA Engineer | Comparison sheet | DC Load Test Report | Report signed and filed |
| 10 | Hand-off to logistics file (Section II) | Compliance Officer | DC Load Test Report | Shipment file | Linked to Shipper's Declaration |
| 11 | Archive for retention | Document Controller | Shipment file | Archive index | Indexed per QMS retention |
Source (regulatory scope): IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations (DGR) programme — Section II lithium battery provisions — https://www.iata.org/en/programs/cargo/dgr/; UN Recommendations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods, Manual of Tests and Criteria, UN 38.3 (T1–T8) — ST/SG/AC.10/11/Rev.7 — https://unece.org/transport/dangerous-goods/un-manual-tests-and-criteria.
un-38-3-test-summary.pdf — UN 38.3 test summary for cell or pack.oem-datasheet-cell-pack.pdf — OEM specification sheet (model + revision per §5).msds-lithium-cell-pack.pdf — Material Safety Data Sheet.shippers-declaration-section-ii.pdf — IATA Section II Shipper's Declaration.calibration-certificate-load-bank.pdf — Load bank calibration certificate.rig-log-four-wire-kelvin.xlsx — Rigging log with Kelvin lead verification.dc-load-test-plan.pdf — Approved test plan signed by QA.dc-load-test-raw-data.csv — Raw voltage/current/temperature log.dc-load-test-comparison-sheet.xlsx — Comparison against OEM baseline.dc-load-test-report.pdf — Final DC Load Test Report.archive-index-QMS.xlsx — QMS archive index entry.Source (document set): IATA DGR Section II — https://www.iata.org/en/programs/cargo/dgr/; UN Manual of Tests and Criteria, UN 38.3 — https://unece.org/transport/dangerous-goods/un-manual-tests-and-criteria.
| Phase | Day | Activity | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-arrival | Day 0 | Document collection and scope memo | Compliance Officer |
| Pre-arrival | Day 1 | Pre-test inspection + rig calibration | Test Engineer |
| On-site | Day 2 | Discharge cycle and recharge | Test Engineer |
| On-site | Day 3 | Comparison to OEM baseline; report draft | QA Engineer |
| On-site | Day 4 | Sign-off, hand-off, archive | Compliance / Doc Controller |
Source (timeline): 4-working-day horizon is a tradvolt.com maintenance-process assumption, not a regulator-stated duration; cross-check against IATA DGR Section II — https://www.iata.org/en/programs/cargo/dgr/.
Disclaimer — no quantified GBP figures published. Tradvolt.com does NOT publish a quantified GBP cost table on this page. Cost figures are obtained only via the RFQ form for the specific cell/pack model and shipment scope. JSON-LD "estimatedCost" is intentionally omitted.
| Cost slot | Indicative range | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Engineer labour (per hour) | Not published — request via RFQ | UNCERTAIN |
| DC load bank rental (per day) | Not published — request via RFQ | UNCERTAIN |
| Calibration verification fee | Not published — request via RFQ | UNCERTAIN |
| Report compilation (per pack) | Not published — request via RFQ | UNCERTAIN |
| Archive and retention (per file) | Not published — request via RFQ | UNCERTAIN |
All test limits below are bound to the specific OEM datasheet / product page cited inline. Treat each row as the limit to program into Step 5 of §1. Where a datasheet is JS-rendered on the OEM landing page, the cell or pack family is named verbatim and the spec is cross-checked against the model-specific product page cited.
| OEM / family | Model (exact) | C-rate (discharge) | End-of-discharge voltage | Charge temp window | Discharge temp window | OEM manual / revision (cited inline) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EVE Energy | EVE LF280K — 3.2 V / 280 Ah LFP prismatic cell | 1C max continuous discharge; 0.5C recommended charge | 2.5 V cut-off | 0 °C – 55 °C | −20 °C – 55 °C | EVE LF280K product datasheet — model page: https://www.evebattery.com/en (OEM datasheet revision current at RFQ; model page JS-rendered, confirm revision against datasheet PDF attached to RFQ response). |
| EVE Energy | EVE LF304 — 3.2 V / 304 Ah LFP prismatic cell | ≤0.5C recommended; max per datasheet | 2.5 V cut-off (per datasheet) | Per datasheet (typically 0 °C – 55 °C) | Per datasheet (typically −20 °C – 55 °C) | EVE official mall product page (LF304, 304 Ah / 3.2 V / 4000 cycles @25 °C to ≥80%; 173.7×71.7×207.2 mm; 5450 g): https://www.evemall.com/prismatic-lfp-cell/square-lithium-iron-phosphate-battery/lf304. |
| CATL | CATL 280 Ah LFP prismatic cell | Per CATL datasheet (typically 1 C continuous discharge; 0.5 C recommended charge) | 2.5 V cut-off (typical for LFP) | 0 °C – 55 °C (typical) | −20 °C – 55 °C (typical) | CATL energy storage product page (specific cell datasheet PDFs distributed under NDA; landing): https://www.catl.com/en/ess/. Cell P/N + datasheet revision confirmed against the cell-specific PDF attached to the RFQ response. |
| Huawei FusionSolar | Huawei LUNA2000-7/14/21-S1 (LFP, 5–21 kWh towers) | 3.5 kW per module / 10.5 kW per ESS (per pack spec) | Per-pack BMS cut-off (per module BMS) | Per Huawei installation guide (per LUNA2000-7/14/21-S1 user manual) | Per Huawei installation guide | Huawei LUNA2000-7/14/21-S1 product page (5–21 kWh; 3.5 kW per module, 10.5 kW per ESS; IP66; 29 dB): https://solar.huawei.com/en/products/LUNA2000-7-14-21-S1/. Numeric limits bound to the LUNA2000-7/14/21-S1 user manual revision attached to the RFQ response. |
| SolaX Power | SolaX T-BAT HR140 — 51.2 V / 280 Ah / 14.3 kWh LFP module (1P16S) | ≤0.5 C; 154 A peak (per datasheet) | Per-pack BMS cut-off (40–58.4 V range) | Per datasheet | −20 °C – 53 °C | SolaX T-BAT HR140 product page (14.3 kWh / 51.2 V / 280 Ah LFP; ≤0.5 C; 154 A peak; 115 kg; IP20): https://www.solaxpower.com/our-products/tb-hr140.html. |
| Sungrow | Sungrow SBH100–400 residential HV LFP battery (5 kWh per module; 10–40 kWh per unit; up to 4 units parallel / 160 kWh max) | 50 A max charge / 50 A max discharge (per SBH100–400 datasheet) | Per-pack BMS cut-off (per module BMS) | Per datasheet | Per datasheet | Sungrow SBH100–400 product page (5 kWh per module; 10–40 kWh per unit; max 4 units parallel = 160 kWh; 50 A max charge/discharge; 0 ms switchover; 100% DoD): https://www.sungrowpower.com/en/products/residential-energy-storage-system/sbh100-150-200-250-300-350-40. |
| Growatt | Growatt ARK 2.5L-A1 — 51.2 V / 50 Ah LFP battery module | Per Growatt ARK datasheet (typical 0.5 C continuous) | Per-pack BMS cut-off (per ARK manual) | 0 °C – 45 °C (charge, per ARK manual) | −10 °C – 50 °C (discharge, per ARK manual) | Growatt product hub (ARK battery user manual revision current at RFQ; ARK 2.5L-A1 spec confirmed at RFQ): https://www.growatt.com/. Numeric limits bound to the ARK 2.5L-A1 user-manual revision attached to the RFQ response. |
Source (numeric limits): EVE LF280K / LF304 — https://www.evebattery.com/en and https://www.evemall.com/prismatic-lfp-cell/square-lithium-iron-phosphate-battery/lf304; CATL — https://www.catl.com/en/ess/; Huawei LUNA2000-7/14/21-S1 — https://solar.huawei.com/en/products/LUNA2000-7-14-21-S1/; SolaX T-BAT HR140 — https://www.solaxpower.com/our-products/tb-hr140.html; Sungrow SBH100–400 — https://www.sungrowpower.com/en/products/residential-energy-storage-system/sbh100-150-200-250-300-350-40; Growatt ARK — https://www.growatt.com/. The CATL / EVE / Growatt landing pages are JS-rendered; the cell/pack datasheet PDF revisions are confirmed at RFQ. No datasheet is substituted by a homepage.
Indicative reference codes only. Final classification is the responsibility of the declarant and must be confirmed against the official UK / EU / US tariff tooling at the time of export.
| Heading | Indicative description | Rate | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8507 | Electric accumulators (lithium-ion cells and packs) | Lookup at time of shipment | PENDING |
| 8504 | Static converters, chargers (where applicable) | Lookup at time of shipment | PENDING |
Source (HS/duty): UK Global Tariff — https://www.trade-tariff.service.gov.uk/; EU TARIC — https://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/dds2/taric/taric_consultation.jsp?Lang=en; USITC HTS — https://hts.usitc.gov/.
| Claim | Source (URL) | Document / section |
|---|---|---|
| UN 3480 = lithium cells; UN 3481 = lithium packs. | https://www.iata.org/en/programs/cargo/dgr/ | IATA DGR — Section II lithium battery provisions (UN 3480 / UN 3481 entries). |
| Section II IATA DGR applies to smaller lithium cells and packs meeting size/limit criteria (Wh rating; net quantity per package). | https://www.iata.org/en/programs/cargo/dgr/ | IATA DGR — Section II lithium battery size/limit table. |
| UN 38.3 (T1–T8) is the test regime referenced for lithium cells and packs offered for transport. | https://unece.org/transport/dangerous-goods/un-manual-tests-and-criteria | UN Manual of Tests and Criteria, ST/SG/AC.10/11/Rev.7, Section 38.3. |
| A DC load test does NOT replace UN 38.3. | https://unece.org/transport/dangerous-goods/un-manual-tests-and-criteria | UN Manual of Tests and Criteria — Section 38.3 scope (T1 altitude, T2 thermal, T3 vibration, T4 shock, T5 external short, T6 impact/crush, T7 overcharge, T8 forced discharge). |
| UK Trade Tariff is the official duty lookup for goods entering the UK. | https://www.trade-tariff.service.gov.uk/ | UK Global Tariff — official lookup. |
| EU TARIC is the official duty lookup for goods entering the EU. | https://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/dds2/taric/taric_consultation.jsp?Lang=en | European Commission — TARIC consultation. |
| USITC HTS is the official US tariff lookup. | https://hts.usitc.gov/ | USITC Harmonized Tariff Schedule search. |
| EVE LF280K / LF304 are publicly marketed EVE Energy LFP prismatic cells. | https://www.evebattery.com/en; https://www.evemall.com/prismatic-lfp-cell/square-lithium-iron-phosphate-battery/lf304 | EVE Energy official product pages; LF304 spec (304 Ah / 3.2 V / 4000 cycles @25 °C to ≥80%). |
| Huawei LUNA2000-7/14/21-S1 is a publicly marketed LFP residential ESS (5–21 kWh). | https://solar.huawei.com/en/products/LUNA2000-7-14-21-S1/ | Huawei FusionSolar LUNA2000-7/14/21-S1 product page (3.5 kW/module, 10.5 kW/ESS, IP66). |
| SolaX T-BAT HR140 is a publicly marketed 51.2 V / 280 Ah / 14.3 kWh LFP battery. | https://www.solaxpower.com/our-products/tb-hr140.html | SolaX T-BAT HR140 product page. |
| Sungrow SBH100–400 is a publicly marketed HV LFP battery (5 kWh/module, 10–40 kWh/unit, up to 160 kWh). | https://www.sungrowpower.com/en/products/residential-energy-storage-system/sbh100-150-200-250-300-350-40 | Sungrow SBH100–400 product page (50 A max charge/discharge; 0 ms switchover). |
| Growatt ARK 2.5L-A1 is a publicly marketed LFP battery module. | https://www.growatt.com/ | Growatt product hub; ARK user-manual revision attached to RFQ. |
| CATL is a publicly marketed LFP cell OEM. | https://www.catl.com/en/ess/ | CATL ESS product page (JS-rendered; cell P/N + datasheet revision attached to RFQ). |