One of China’s most popular portable power bank makers has recalled its products and halted operations, weeks after the country banned uncertified power banks on aircraft.
Romoss Technology has suspended production for six months after it was caught in a scandal over safety issues, according to Chinese media reports.
The company, based in Shenzhen, has also recalled nearly 490,000 power banks from three models made between June 2023 and July 2024 after metal debris in their battery cells was found to pose overheating risks.
Romoss notified employees it was suspending operations from 1 July and reportedly gave them a furlough of a monthly salary equal to 80 per cent of Shenzhen’s minimum wage.
The manufacturer has over 690 employees “but only a small group involved in the recall incident is expected to continue working to ensure basic operations”, a staff member told Yicai Global, expressing shock at the announcement.
The company has taken its e-commerce shops offline and removed products listed on leading e-commerce platforms like Temu.
China's aviation regulator last month banned passengers from carrying power banks without Chinese safety certification markings or those recently recalled by manufacturers.
The move, applicable to anyone boarding a flight in China, followed a series of incidents globally involving lithium battery products, including power banks, overheating on planes.
The Civil Aviation Administration said power banks must clearly have the “3C”, or China Compulsory Certification, marking to be allowed on aircraft.
The certification is mandatory for products that may impact health, safety and environmental protection.
The Independent has contacted Romoss for comment.
On 10 June, according to local media, Chinese authorities had temporarily suspended Apex Wuxi's 3C certification after it reportedly altered separator materials in battery cells.
Apex Wuxi is one of China’s leading producers of core power bank parts, which it supplies to Romoss and its rival Anker Innovations. The suspension prompted Romoss and Anker to recall a combined 1.2 million power bank units because of combustion risks.
Lithium batteries in devices such as laptops, mobile phones, electronic cigarettes, and power banks can produce smoke, fire or extreme heat when manufacturing faults or damage cause them to short-circuit. They are a growing concern for aviation safety as passengers carry more battery-powered items on flights.
Last year, the US Federal Aviation Administration recorded three incidents of lithium batteries overheating on planes every two weeks globally compared to just under one a week in 2018.
In January this year, South Korea said that a spare power bank was the possible cause of a fire that had engulfed a Busan Air flight to Hong Kong.
Since that incident, airlines globally have been tightening power bank rules. Aviation rules generally say power banks should be carried in cabin baggage but increasingly airlines are banning their use on board and say they must be kept within view to spot any problems.
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