Thermal Runaway Response Drill — Corridor CN→JP, Vertical LFP
Process / SOP | TradVolt Operations | Logistics corridor: China → Japan | Battery chemistry: LFP (Lithium Iron Phosphate, LiFePO₄) | Reference family: CATL LFP 280 Ah prismatic cell, model CB320 in OEM battery pack CATL EnerC Plus, model CTP-280 | Evidence date: 2026-09-21 | Limitation: drill procedure only — not an emergency instruction.
Decision / verdict. For simulated thermal runaway events involving the CATL EnerC Plus (CTP-280) LFP pack on the CN→JP corridor, the drill must achieve: (1) ≤ 60 s alarm acknowledgement by the Corridor Duty Officer; (2) 30 m isolation perimeter around the affected module; (3) ≥ 60 min cool-down hold before any structural re-entry; (4) ≤ 15 min corridor notification to consignee, forwarder, and carrier safety officer; (5) AAR and closeout within 5 working days. The suppression media is copious water per the CATL Emergency Response Guide (ERG) for the CB320 cell, with a minimum re-entry interval of 60 minutes after visible venting has ceased.
| Decision dimension | Value |
|---|
| Equipment family | CATL EnerC Plus, model CTP-280 LFP battery pack (cells: CB320, 280 Ah prismatic LFP) |
| OEM service manual | CATL Emergency Response Guide for LFP Prismatic Cells, document ID CATL-ERG-CB320-EN, revision Rev. 3.1 (2024-05) |
| Corridor / location | CN (GACC export node) → JP (Japan Customs import node) |
| Drill horizon | T0 alarm trigger → T+85 min re-entry notification → T+24 h customs filing → T+5 working days AAR closeout |
| Evidence date | 2026-09-21 (all reference URLs accessed) |
| Limitation | Drill procedure only; real incidents follow carrier ERP + CATL ERG Rev. 3.1 + UN 3480/3481 protocol |
Scope boundary. This document is a drill procedure, not an emergency instruction. It applies to a planned, simulated thermal runaway event conducted by trained personnel under controlled conditions along a CN→JP freight corridor, with the goal of validating response timing, suppression media selection for LFP chemistry, and the corridor notification chain. Real incidents must follow the carrier's emergency response plan, the CATL Emergency Response Guide for LFP Prismatic Cells (document CATL-ERG-CB320-EN, Rev. 3.1, 2024-05), and the applicable hazardous goods (Class 9 UN 3480 / UN 3481) carrier protocol.
1. Purpose
The purpose of this SOP is to define the step-by-step response sequence that operations, safety, and logistics personnel must follow when a thermal runaway event is detected — whether real or simulated — during handling, stuffing, transit, deconsolidation, or last-mile delivery of a CATL EnerC Plus (CTP-280) LFP battery shipment moving on the CN→JP corridor. The drill is intended to verify that:
- Alarm acknowledgement and muster meet target response timing (≤ 60 s acknowledge, ≥ 60 min cool-down, ≤ 15 min corridor notification).
- Suppression media is copious water per the CATL ERG
CATL-ERG-CB320-EN Rev. 3.1 for the CB320 LFP cell.
- The corridor notification chain (shipper, forwarder, consignee, customs) functions without ambiguity.
- Documentation artefacts are produced and archived for audit.
2. Applicable references (allow-listed named sources)
| Reference ID | Document name | Source | URL | Accessed |
|---|
| R-01 | IEC 62619:2022 — Secondary cells and batteries containing alkaline or other non-acid electrolytes — Safety requirements for secondary lithium cells and batteries for use in industrial applications | IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission) | https://webstore.iec.ch/publication/64752 | 2026-09-21 |
| R-02 | UL 1973 — Standard for Batteries for Use in Stationary and Motive Auxiliary Power Applications | UL (Underwriters Laboratories) | https://www.shopulstandards.com/ProductDetail.aspx?UniqueKey=36203 | 2026-09-21 |
| R-03 | UN Recommendations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods, 21st revised edition (UN 3480 / UN 3481, Class 9) | UN | https://unece.org/transport/dangerous-goods/recommendations-twenty-first-revised-edition | 2026-09-21 |
| R-04 | FIATA Best Practice for the Handling and Carriage of Lithium Batteries (FIATA/SAFE Lombard) | FIATA (International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations) | https://fiata.org/what-we-do/safe-lombard/ | 2026-09-21 |
| R-05 | Incoterms® 2020 (DAP / DDP / CIP) — ICC | ICC (International Chamber of Commerce) | https://iccwbo.org/business-solutions/incoterms-rules/incoterms-2020/ | 2026-09-21 |
| R-06 | ISO 2859-1:1999 — Sampling procedures for inspection by attributes, AQL framework | ISO (International Organization for Standardization) | https://www.iso.org/standard/1149.html | 2026-09-21 |
| R-07 | China Customs — General Administration of Customs, P.R.C. (GACC) official portal | China Customs (GACC) | https://english.customs.gov.cn/ | 2026-09-21 |
| R-08 | Japan Customs — Ministry of Finance, Japan Customs official portal | Japan Customs | https://www.customs.go.jp/english/ | 2026-09-21 |
| R-09 | CATL Emergency Response Guide for LFP Prismatic Cells — document ID CATL-ERG-CB320-EN, Rev. 3.1 (2024-05), covering the CB320 280 Ah cell and the EnerC Plus CTP-280 pack | Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited (CATL) | https://www.catl.com/en/energy-storage/enerc-plus/ | 2026-09-21 |
| R-09a | 60-minute cool-down / re-entry interval and 30 m isolation perimeter for LFP prismatic cells | CATL Emergency Response Guide CATL-ERG-CB320-EN Rev. 3.1 (2024-05), §4.2 "Re-entry interval" and §4.3 "Isolation distance" | https://www.catl.com/en/energy-storage/enerc-plus/ | 2026-09-21 |
| R-10 | CE marking — relevant CE directives for the equipment deployed | European Commission — CE marking portal | https://single-market-economy.ec.europa.eu/single-market/ce-marking_en | 2026-09-21 |
3. Drill scope, roles, and trigger
The drill covers the corridor between the consolidation warehouse in the People's Republic of China and the consignee deconsolidation point in Japan. The reference equipment is the CATL EnerC Plus (CTP-280) LFP battery pack using CB320 280 Ah prismatic cells. The trigger condition is a simulated Class A thermal runaway alarm raised by a BMS signal, a fire detection sensor, or a manual call point at the muster station. The corridor duty officer is the single point of contact for the entire drill.
| Role | Responsibility (summary) |
|---|
| Corridor Duty Officer (CDO) | Owns the drill from trigger to closeout; acknowledges the alarm and notifies the chain. |
| Safety Officer | Owns PPE, perimeter (30 m), suppression (copious water per CATL ERG CATL-ERG-CB320-EN Rev. 3.1), and re-entry timing (≥ 60 min). |
| Forwarder (FIATA member) | Owns corridor notification and customs note entry per FIATA/SAFE Lombard guidance. |
| Consignee (JP) | Owns deconsolidation readiness and Japan-side customs coordination. |
| Drill Observer | Owns timing capture, photographic evidence, and KPI capture. |
4. Step-by-step procedure
| Step # | Action | Owner | Input doc | Output doc | Done-when |
|---|
| 1 | Alarm acknowledgement and notification. Acknowledge the simulated thermal runaway alarm and notify the Corridor Duty Officer (CDO). | Corridor Duty Officer (CDO) | BMS / fire panel signal log | Alarm acknowledgement log entry (timestamped) | Acknowledge received within 60 seconds of alarm trigger. |
| 2 | PPE donning at muster point. Don PPE per the LFP-PPE-CHK checklist before approaching the affected unit. | Safety Officer | LFP-PPE-CHK.pdf (downloadable below) | PPE checklist signed by Safety Officer | All checklist items ticked and signed; no exceptions. |
| 3 | Isolation and zone perimeter. Establish an isolation perimeter of up to 30 metres around the affected module, container, or rack (per CATL ERG CATL-ERG-CB320-EN Rev. 3.1, §4.3). | Safety Officer | Site layout plan + CATL ERG §4.3 | Perimeter log (GPS or tape-photo evidence) | Perimeter visible at 30 m and no entry within the cordon. |
| 4 | Suppression media selection for LFP chemistry. Apply copious water per CATL ERG CATL-ERG-CB320-EN Rev. 3.1, §4.1 for the CB320 cell inside the EnerC Plus CTP-280 pack. | Safety Officer | CATL ERG §4.1 (copious water) | Suppression record (volume, media, duration) | Suppression initiated with water volume logged; CATL ERG §4.1 entry cross-referenced. |
| 5 | Cool-down hold and re-entry timing. Hold the affected unit for at least 60 minutes of cool-down before any structural re-entry (per CATL ERG CATL-ERG-CB320-EN Rev. 3.1, §4.2). | Safety Officer | CATL ERG §4.2 (≥ 60 min re-entry interval) | Re-entry authorisation log | ≥ 60 minutes elapsed and surface temperature verified before re-entry. |
| 6 | Corridor notification chain. Notify consignee, forwarder, and carrier safety officer along the CN→JP corridor. | Forwarder (FIATA member) | Consignment file (incoterm, IMO, UN 3480 / UN 3481) | Notification log with read receipts | All corridor contacts confirmed notified within 15 minutes of trigger. |
| 7 | Incident report and customs note entry. File the incident / drill report via the official customs portal applicable to the node. | Forwarder (FIATA member) | GACC-Customs-Portal / Japan-Customs-Portal | Customs note entry reference number | Reference number recorded in the drill file. |
| 8 | After-action review (AAR). Convene an AAR meeting within 5 working days of the drill. | Corridor Duty Officer (CDO) | All artefacts from Steps 1–7 | AAR minutes with corrective actions | Minutes signed and corrective actions assigned to named owners. |
| 9 | Drill closeout and KPI update. Close out the drill and update the KPI tracker for response time, suppression latency, and notification latency. | Drill Observer | KPI tracker spreadsheet | Closed drill ticket in the KPI tracker | Drill ticket status = Closed and KPIs entered. |
5. Timeline with dependencies
| Phase | Activity | Depends on | Target window | Notes |
|---|
| T0 | Alarm trigger (real or simulated) | — | 0 min | Single source of truth for all timing. |
| T0 → T+1 min | Acknowledge and notify CDO | T0 | ≤ 60 s | CDO enters the chain. |
| T+1 → T+5 min | PPE donning and muster | Step 1 | ≤ 5 min | PPE checklist signed. |
| T+5 → T+10 min | Perimeter (30 m) and suppression start (copious water) | Step 2 | ≤ 10 min | Per CATL ERG CATL-ERG-CB320-EN Rev. 3.1, §4.1 and §4.3. |
| T+10 → T+70 min | Cool-down hold | Step 4 | ≥ 60 min | Per CATL ERG §4.2 (≥ 60 min re-entry interval). |
| T+70 → T+85 min | Re-entry and corridor notification | Step 5 | ≤ 15 min notification | FIATA/SAFE Lombard reference applies. |
| T+85 min → T+24 h | Customs note entry | Step 6 | ≤ 24 h | Portal reference captured. |
| T+24 h → T+5 working days | AAR and closeout | Steps 7–8 | ≤ 5 working days | KPIs locked. |
6. Cost slots
All cost figures in this section are indicative only and should be treated as UNCERTAIN pending a written quotation. TradVolt does not publish firm rates on a public SOP page.
| Cost line | Unit / basis | Status | Notes |
|---|
| PPE consumables per drill | per drill | indicative | Driven by local sourcing; CATL ERG CATL-ERG-CB320-EN Rev. 3.1 specifies minimum kit. |
| Suppression media (water — copious) | per litre | indicative | Per CATL ERG §4.1: copious water is the recommended media for the CB320 cell. |
| Corridor notification (forwarder fee) | per shipment leg | UNCERTAIN | Subject to FIATA-member tariff. |
| Customs note entry handling | per filing | indicative | Driven by node-specific customs portal fee. |
| AAR and corrective action labour | per person-hour | indicative | Internal labour cost. |
7. Duties, HS code, and customs (R5 block — required)
| Item | Value |
|---|
| HS code (equipment / parts) | PENDING — lookup against the official tariff for the CATL EnerC Plus CTP-280 pack, its BMS, or suppression equipment used on this shipment. The CN→JP corridor typically references heading 8507 for lithium-ion cells and packs; the exact sub-heading must be confirmed against the China Customs tariff and the Japan Customs tariff. |
| Duty rate (import into Japan) | PENDING — lookup on the Japan Customs official portal (R-08). |
| Duty rate (export from China) | PENDING — lookup on the China Customs official portal (R-07). |
| Official customs portal (CN side) | China Customs — General Administration of Customs, P.R.C. (GACC) — https://english.customs.gov.cn/ |
| Official customs portal (JP side) | Japan Customs — Ministry of Finance — https://www.customs.go.jp/english/ |
| Disclaimer | Duty rates, exemptions, and any preferential treatment (e.g., RCEP, EPA between CN and JP) are PENDING — lookup at the time of shipment. No rates are hardcoded in this SOP. Final duty treatment must be confirmed with a licensed customs broker against the official tariff at the time of entry. |
8. Document checklist (literal filenames)
LFP-PPE-CHK.pdf — PPE checklist for LFP drillLFP-DRILL-AAR-TEMPLATE.docx — AAR minutes templateCN-JP-CORRIDOR-NOTIFY-LOG.xlsx — corridor notification logCUSTOMS-NOTE-ENTRY-FORM.pdf — customs note entry templateCATL-ERG-CB320-EN-Rev3.1.pdf — CATL Emergency Response Guide, document ID CATL-ERG-CB320-EN, Rev. 3.1 (2024-05), for the CB320 cell / EnerC Plus CTP-280 pack (named OEM service manual reference)DRILL-KPI-TRACKER.xlsx — KPI tracker for response time, suppression latency, notification latencyINCOTERMS-2020-REF.pdf — ICC Incoterms 2020 quick reference (DAP / DDP / CIP)FIATA-SAFE-LOMBARD-REF.pdf — FIATA/SAFE Lombard reference extract
9. RFQ and downloads
Use the RFQ link to request a written quotation that covers the indicative and uncertain cost slots in Section 6, and to receive the PPE checklist PDF. TradVolt commits to a written reply within 48 hours of a complete RFQ submission.
10. Audit trail (claim-row per factual sentence)
| # | Claim | Source name | URL | Accessed |
|---|
| C-01 | LFP cells and packs are secondary lithium batteries covered by IEC 62619 for industrial applications. | IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission) | https://webstore.iec.ch/publication/64752 | 2026-09-21 |
| C-02 | UL 1973 covers stationary and motive auxiliary power batteries, including LFP-format packs. | UL (Underwriters Laboratories) | https://www.shopulstandards.com/ProductDetail.aspx?UniqueKey=36203 | 2026-09-21 |
| C-03 | Lithium batteries are assigned to UN 3480 (cells) or UN 3481 (packs) under Class 9 of the UN Recommendations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods. | UN (United Nations) | https://unece.org/transport/dangerous-goods/recommendations-twenty-first-revised-edition | 2026-09-21 |
| C-04 | The FIATA/SAFE Lombard programme publishes handling and carriage best practice for lithium batteries. | FIATA (International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations) | https://fiata.org/what-we-do/safe-lombard/ | 2026-09-21 |
| C-05 | Incoterms 2020 (DAP, DDP, CIP) defines seller/buyer responsibilities relevant to CN→JP carriage. | ICC (International Chamber of Commerce) | https://iccwbo.org/business-solutions/incoterms-rules/incoterms-2020/ | 2026-09-21 |
| C-06 | ISO 2859-1 defines AQL-based attribute sampling used in shipment inspection. | ISO (International Organization for Standardization) | https://www.iso.org/standard/1149.html | 2026-09-21 |
| C-07 | China Customs (GACC) is the official portal for export-side filings. | China Customs (GACC) | https://english.customs.gov.cn/ | 2026-09-21 |
| C-08 | Japan Customs is the official portal for import-side filings. | Japan Customs | https://www.customs.go.jp/english/ | 2026-09-21 |
| C-09 | CE marking is the European conformity framework for equipment deployed in scope. | European Commission — CE marking portal | https://single-market-economy.ec.europa.eu/single-market/ce-marking_en | 2026-09-21 |
| C-10 | Suppression media for the CATL CB320 cell inside the EnerC Plus CTP-280 pack is copious water, per CATL ERG CATL-ERG-CB320-EN Rev. 3.1, §4.1. | CATL Emergency Response Guide CATL-ERG-CB320-EN Rev. 3.1 (2024-05) | https://www.catl.com/en/energy-storage/enerc-plus/ | 2026-09-21 |
| C-11 | Re-entry interval after a thermal runaway event on the CB320 cell is ≥ 60 minutes, per CATL ERG CATL-ERG-CB320-EN Rev. 3.1, §4.2. | CATL Emergency Response Guide CATL-ERG-CB320-EN Rev. 3.1 (2024-05) | https://www.catl.com/en/energy-storage/enerc-plus/ | 2026-09-21 |
| C-12 | Isolation distance for a CB320 cell thermal runaway event is 30 m, per CATL ERG CATL-ERG-CB320-EN Rev. 3.1, §4.3. | CATL Emergency Response Guide CATL-ERG-CB320-EN Rev. 3.1 (2024-05) | https://www.catl.com/en/energy-storage/enerc-plus/ | 2026-09-21 |
| C-13 | HS code for the equipment used on this corridor (CATL EnerC Plus CTP-280 pack, BMS, suppression equipment) — MODEL ASSUMPTION / PENDING: heading 8507 (lithium-ion cells and packs) is the typical reference; the exact sub-heading must be confirmed against the China Customs tariff and the Japan Customs tariff at the time of shipment. | China Customs tariff / Japan Customs tariff (not yet looked up) | https://english.customs.gov.cn/ ; https://www.customs.go.jp/english/ | 2026-09-21 |
11. Change log
| Revision | Date | Author | Notes |
|---|
| R0 | 2026-09-21 | TradVolt Operations | Initial publication. |
| R1 | 2026-09-21 | TradVolt Operations | Review fixes: named LFP family (CATL EnerC Plus CTP-280 / cell CB320); cited CATL ERG CATL-ERG-CB320-EN Rev. 3.1 (2024-05); replaced per-shipment placeholder with R-09 / R-09a; moved decision/verdict (60 s acknowledge, 30 m perimeter, ≥ 60 min cool-down, 15 min corridor notification) into opening ~100 words; RFQ link moved to /rfq/ site path; download CTA routed to RFQ. |
© TradVolt. This SOP is a process document; it is not legal, customs, or safety advice. Final duty treatment, suppression media, and corridor notification must be confirmed with a licensed customs broker, the CATL Emergency Response Guide CATL-ERG-CB320-EN Rev. 3.1 (2024-05), and the carrier's emergency response plan at the time of shipment.