Salzburg fire test highlights risks of discarded lithium batteries

A test at a Salzburg recycling centre showed how damaged lithium batteries can ignite immediately or catch fire hours later, ORF reported. The city’s professional fire brigade deliberately damaged two battery cells to demonstrate the risks of batteries crushed in waste presses.

A power bank burst into flames straight away, while a cell from a cordless screwdriver began smoking only after a delay. Salzburg fire director Werner Kloiber said a cell could take 24 to 48 hours to react, creating a risk of a later fire.

The demonstration comes as incorrectly discarded batteries cause more frequent fires, according to Jürgen Wulff-Gegenbauer, head of the city’s waste service. He said there is an incident every two or three months. Battery collections have risen from 2.4 to 3.2 tonnes, but about 17 million lithium batteries are still thrown into residual waste across Austria each year.

Josef Weilhartner, managing director of the environmental protection facilities, said the danger depends not on a battery’s size but on the energy remaining in its cells and the conditions they encounter. A recent fire at the Siggerwiesen facilities caused an estimated 500,000 euros in damage. Weilhartner said the facility hoped to return to full operation by the end of the year.

Wulff-Gegenbauer called for a deposit on batteries, saying it could improve return rates. During Austria’s nationwide Battery Focus campaign week, Salzburg is providing information on proper disposal at the recycling centre in Salzburg-Maxglan and at the Schranne.