IUMI publishes “Best practice & recommendations for the safe carriage of electric vehicles”
The International Union of Marine Insurance, which represents the cream of marine insurers weighed into the debate in September following the publication of their best practice guidelines, a most useful document.
There are growing concerns within the shipping community, including marine underwriters, about fires breaking out on car carriers and ro-ros with the assertion that many of these fires are attributable to electric vehicles. In response, the International Union of Marine Insurance (IUMI) has researched these claims and published recommendations on the safe carriage of electric vehicles (EVs).
Lars Lange, IUMI Secretary General, explains:
“Our paper draws on a body of scientific research which demonstrates that fires in battery EVs are not more dangerous than fires in conventional vehicles, nor are they more frequent. Although statistics continue to be gathered, they currently estimate that, in general, there are fewer fires from EVs compared with fires from conventional vehicles when driven over the same distance.”
Research also proves that there is only a minor difference between total energy released during an EV fire and one that is related to an internal combustion engine vehicle (ICEV). Once established, vehicle fires are largely (approx. 80%) fuelled by the car body and interior parts rather than the propulsion system. However, the potential for thermal runaway (when the battery suffers an unstable chemical reaction) exists for EVs whereas it is not a consideration for ICEVs. Thermal runaway makes fires hard to extinguish, hence mitigation measures such as boundary cooling must be employed rapidly. Moreover, the risk of re-ignition is higher for an extended period of time.
In light of this, IUMI concludes:
• Early fire detection and verification/confirmation is critically important to reduce the time between detection and firefighting response to a minimum. Options, in addition to the conventional systems, could include thermal imaging cameras and AI powered systems.
• Drencher systems are effective for fire-fighting onboard roro and ropax vessels both for EV and ICEV fires and should be installed alongside video monitoring systems.
• CO2 extinguishing systems, if applied quickly, are successful in
fighting PCTC fires and their capacity should be doubled. High- expansion foam fire extinguishing systems have also proved to be effective to prevent heat transfer from one vehicle to another.
• Early detection, confirmation and a short response time are crucial to fight a fire successfully. On board PCTCs, fixed systems should always be applied before manual fire-fighting is employed.
• A clear policy is required on which cargo is accepted or rejected. Vehicles should be screened with used vehicles being checked carefully for hidden damage.
• Charging onboard ropax vessels should be permitted subject to relevant risk assessments and control measures. Safety mechanisms built into EVs are usually activated during charging.
Read the full article at
https://bit.ly/47DUBpa. 66 | ISSUE 106 | DEC 2023 | THE REPORT
ClassNK releases guidelines on the safe transportation of electric vehicles
A well-known and respected classification society, ClassNK, joined the debate in August 2023. They published a set of guidelines that focuses on the safe transportation of EVs.
In a bid to bolster the safety of maritime transportation of electric vehicles (EV) at a time of major concern for the shipping industry, ClassNK has unveiled a set of new guidelines and measures.
ClassNK has developed the Guidelines for the Safe Transportation of electric vehicles, which describes the characteristics of EV fires and provides guidance on how to respond, built upon dialogue with experts, operators, manufacturers, and other stakeholders.
Publishing these guidelines is a sensible move by ClassNK’s part given the surge of challenges presented by climate change and global warming, the export of hybrid and EVs powered by lithium-ion (Li-Ion) batteries. There exists a faction of industry insiders who argue that the transport of these vehicles may not be completely safe.
In the case of a thermal runaway, the risks are considerably amplified. This dangerous occurrence involves an uncontrolled escalation in temperature within the battery, resulting in a swift and forceful discharge of energy. The consequences of such an event can be dire, potentially leading to catastrophic explosions or fires.
“Controlling li-ion battery fires are almost impossible, once the fire catches on to nearby vehicles their frames melt and the work to extinguish is extremely challenging”, stated Henrik Meyer, senior quality manager, ports, terminals and stevedoring at Wallenius Wilhelmsen.
The aim of the guidelines is to assist in the development of fire safety measures for the maritime transportation of EVs and, thus, enhance the overall safety of such transportation for not only ships themselves but also for their respective crews.
Read the full article at
https://bit.ly/3EVYIQG.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144
