Lithium-ion batteries are now everywhere in the workplace: power tools, e-bikes, scrubber dryers, pallet trucks and laptops. A damaged or overcharged cell can go into thermal runaway with very little warning. Dedicated lithium battery storage keeps charging and holding contained, insulated and away from everything else that can burn. This collection covers three asecos ION-LINE lithium battery charging cabinets: an under-bench cabinet at £4,422.00, a full-height four-shelf cabinet at £6,113.90 and a six-shelf, 48-socket cabinet at £12,025.92. asecos build fire-rated hazardous storage and little else.
The lithium battery cabinet range
Every cabinet is Type 90 to EN 14470-1, the fire safety storage cabinet standard, which measures how long the inside stays cool with a fire burning outside. Each is also rated for 90 minutes to EN 1363-1, the fire-resistance test method, which matters most for lithium-ion because it covers a fire inside the cabinet. All three carry UK sockets inside the fire-rated body, so charging cables stay inside the cabinet.
On all three, no single battery may weigh more than 15 kg, and the cabinets are for lithium-ion batteries only. They are not for acids, bases or flammable liquids; those need a separate COSHH cabinet.
Choosing between the three
The under-bench cabinet is 780 mm high, so it slides under a standard worktop rather than taking new floor space. Its internal space is 470 x 452 x 582 mm across two drawers, which suits a handful of power tool batteries or e-bike packs. It has smoke detectors with LED, visual and acoustic alarms and a potential-free contact to forward an alarm to a building management system.
The full-height ION-CORE-90 is for a department. Its four shelves are insulated and propagation tested, sixteen sockets let a full bench of packs charge at once, and potential-free alarm contacts are standard. It is 352 kg and needs 1,128 mm of clear depth to open the doors.
The ION-PRO-90 is for charging at site scale or with heavier packs. It adds VDMA 24994 certification, a real fire test for thermal runaway rather than a furnace test with the fire outside, 75 kg per shelf, self-closing coupled doors and two detection methods: smoke detectors and a temperature sensor. It is 578 kg and needs 1,209 mm of clear depth for the doors. Count the packs that will be on charge at the same time, not the total you own, because charging is when most thermal events start.
Ventilation and siting
Plan this before you order. asecos' manual states that integrated technical ventilation is required on the full-height ION-CORE-90, which has a 75 DN extraction connection. The ION-PRO-90 has a 100 DN connection and its ventilation must run permanently. In practice that means a duct run and a fan, an electrical and ductwork job rather than something in the box. The full-height cabinets sit on a transport base for forks and a pallet truck; check your floor loading, route and doorway height against the dimensions above. Keep cabinets away from fire exits and other flammables.
What UK guidance expects
There is no lithium-specific storage statute in the UK. What regulators and insurers expect is that workplace charging and storage are covered by your fire risk assessment under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, with a DSEAR assessment where dangerous substances are in play. Our guide to what UK guidance expects of lithium battery storage cabinets sets out segregation, charging supervision and damaged-pack quarantine, and how to charge lithium batteries safely at work covers siting and procedures.
How should lithium batteries be stored?
Cool, dry and away from exits, combustibles and anything that can crush or puncture them, ideally inside a dedicated fire-rated cabinet rather than on open racking. Avoid temperature extremes and check the battery manufacturer's published storage range. Keep damaged or swollen packs separate, never back on charge. If packs currently sit on open shelves or racks, move charging into a contained cabinet first, because that is where the risk concentrates. Part of a wider chemical store? The hazardous storage range includes flammable liquid cabinets (see the flammable vs COSHH cabinet guide) and spill containment. For laptops, tablets and phones rather than loose batteries, see device charging lockers and the charging lockers buying guide.
What we don't sell
We do not sell consumer fireproof charging bags or pouches, battery recycling collection bins or takeback services. "Battery storage" in the grid sense, meaning solar and home energy storage, is a different industry. Questions about which cabinet suits your batteries? Speak to us before you order.
Lithium battery storage FAQs
Why do lithium batteries need a dedicated storage cabinet?
A damaged, overcharged or faulty lithium-ion cell can go into thermal runaway with very little warning. A dedicated lithium battery cabinet keeps charging and holding contained and insulated from everything else that can burn. The asecos ION-LINE cabinets here are fire-resistance tested for 90 minutes in both directions to EN 14470-1 and EN 1363-1.
What standards are the lithium battery cabinets tested to?
All three cabinets are Type 90 to EN 14470-1 (fire outside, inside stays cool for 90 minutes) and rated 90 minutes to EN 1363-1 (fire inside, outside stays safe). The ION-PRO-90 is also certified to VDMA 24994, a real fire test for thermal runaway inside the cabinet.
Can you charge batteries inside the cabinets?
Yes. asecos describe these as cabinets to store and charge lithium-ion batteries only. Each has built-in UK sockets: eight in the under-bench cabinet, sixteen in the 1,953 mm ION-CORE-90 and forty-eight in the ION-PRO-90.
Do the cabinets need ventilation?
The full-height ION-CORE-90 has a 75 DN extraction connection and asecos' manual states that technical ventilation is required. The ION-PRO-90 has a 100 DN connection with ventilation that must run permanently. Plan the ductwork and fan before ordering.
How much weight can each shelf take?
The ION-CORE-90 charging cabinet takes 25 kg per shelf evenly distributed, 100 kg across four shelves. The ION-PRO-90 takes 75 kg per shelf across six shelves. On all three, no single battery may weigh more than 15 kg.
Which cabinet suits a few power tool batteries?
The under-bench ION-CORE-90 is 780 mm high and 593 mm wide, so it fits under a standard worktop. It has two drawers and eight sockets, which suits a handful of tool packs or e-bike batteries.
Is there a UK law on storing lithium batteries at work?
There is no lithium-specific storage statute in the UK. Workplace charging and storage should be covered by your fire risk assessment under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, with a DSEAR assessment where dangerous substances are in play.
What should I do with a damaged or swollen lithium battery?
Do not put it back on charge or back in the cabinet. Move it to a separate, sealed container away from escape routes until it can be collected, and follow the battery manufacturer's guidance.
Do you sell fireproof battery bags or battery recycling bins?
No. We do not sell consumer charging pouches, battery recycling collection bins or takeback services, and nothing here relates to solar or home energy storage systems.
