Do you have a power bank? Do you want to take it to China? If yes, you might have a problem. See why:
You’re at the Beijing airport on your way to Europe. You’ve flown so many times that security procedures became a routine for you. Take your jacket and coat off. Take out bag with cosmetics. Take out all electronics. Everything set. You don’t even have to think about it. Just cross the gate. And again put all your belongings back to your backpack. But when you reach for the bag with electronic devices the security guard stops you midway.
- Announcement on Restating the Regulations on Carrying Lithium Battery (Portable Chargers) When Passengers Take Civil Aircrafts
- Air Travel: Power Banks without Clear Product Identification are Prohibited
- Power bank must be carried for personal use.
- Power bank must only be transported in hand luggage or carried around. It is not allowed to carry power banks in checked luggage.
- If the rated power is less than 100WH, power banks can be carried without approval; power banks with the power between 100WH and 160WH can be carried after approval of air carrier. However, each passenger is only allowed to bring no more than two power banks.
- It is not allowed to carry the power banks with power higher than 160WH or the power banks without identified rated power and with rated power unable to be worked out with the marked parameters.
- Passengers are not allowed to use power banks to charge electronic devices during the flight. Power banks must be switched “Off” during the flight.
Calculation methods for the rated power of power banks:
If the rated power is not directly marked, the calculation methods are as follows:
- If Nominal Voltage (V) and Nominal Capacity (Ah) are given, the rated power can be calculated as follows:
Wh=V×Ah
Nominal Voltage and Nominal Capacity are usually marked on power banks. - If only milliampere (mAh) is given, please divide the number by 1,000, and you get ampere-hour (Ah).
For example Nominal Voltage is 3.7, and Nominal Capacity is 760mAh, and then you get the rated power:
760 mAh ÷ 1000 = 0.76Ah
3.7V×0.76Ah=2.9Wh
You can take no more than two power banks with you and only in hand luggage. The trick is that each device has to have a sticker with rated power (my power bank didn’t so I had to kiss it goodbye in Beijing).
Apparently, those regulations were enforced in China after a few incidents of spontaneous combustion occurred at the airports.
So if you’re planning a trip to China want to take a power bank with you better check beforehand if it can pass the security check at the airport.
Good luck!
