Lithium-ion battery fires on vessels remain one of the biggest safety issues
MGN 653 (M)
Amendment 1 electric vehicles onboard passenger roll-on/ roll-off ferries
Maritime regulators are behind the curve and struggling to catch up given the speed of technological change as opinion and facts continue to form on the matter of lithium-ion batteries. But the MCA has issued an amended MGN in August that deals specifically with EVs.
The UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency has issued a Marine Guidance Note (MGN) amending the guidance on the safe carriage of electric vehicles on board passenger ferries. The MGN was released on 7 August 2023.
This MGN provides the UK shipping industry with best practice guidance to facilitate safe carriage, and potential charging of, electric vehicles onboard roll-on roll-off (ro-ro) passenger ferries. The MCA has developed this guidance in conjunction with, and at the request of industry. Amendment 1 includes new guidance in section 4 on the carriage of light electric vehicles such as e-bikes and e-scooters which have become an area of concern following a spate of fires.
This is a lengthy document and can be viewed in full online at
https://bit.ly/3ZLrGMq. Or scan the QR code.
Earlier this year Allianz highlighted that battery fires on vessels remain one of the biggest safety issues facing the shipping industry. There have been a number of serious fire incidents in recent years where Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries have been reported as the source of or contributing to fires on vessels. Allianz experts Capt. Rahul Khanna, Captain Randy Lund and Captain Anastasios Leonburg, share their thoughts on how electric vessels may impact safety onboard.
Decarbonization and electrification are increasing the number of shipping goods that contain Li-ion batteries, from electric vehicles (EVs) to a wide range of consumer and electronic goods. The global Li-ion battery market is expected to grow by over 30% annually from 2022 to 2030, according to a report by McKinsey.
Recently, the Fremantle Highway car-carrying vessel caught fire off the Dutch coast with over 3,000 vehicles on-board enroute from Germany to Egypt. A fire on board car carrier Felicity Age in February 2022, led to the vessel sinking in the Atlantic Ocean, along with its cargo of 4,000 vehicles. Li-ion batteries were cited as being a factor in keeping the fire ablaze. The Höegh Xiamen, caught fire in June 2020 in Jacksonville, Florida, resulting in the total loss of the vessel and its cargo of 2,420 used vehicles. An improperly disconnected battery in a used vehicle led to the fire, according to the official investigation.
In light of the growing number of fires on cargo ships, a spokesperson for IMO said that it will announce new safety standards for those transporting electric vehicles in 2024. The guidelines could include specifications on how fully a battery can be charged. The IMO said that chemicals for extinguishing fires, special fire blankets, equipment such as battery-penetrating jet extinguishers and bigger gaps left between electric vehicles on ships could also become mandatory.
Allianz explains that Li-ion batteries can be carried on board ships either as a cargo themselves or as part of the equipment for the electric vehicles (EVs) they provide power for. Many of these batteries are safely transported every day but fire risks are present in both scenarios, especially if the batteries are used or defective, damaged or improperly stored, packaged, handled or labelled.
The main hazards are fire, explosion, and ‘thermal runaway’, a rapid self-heating fire that can cause an explosion. They can also produce irritating, corrosive or poisonous gases that cause an explosion in a confined space. The main causes of Li-ion fires are substandard manufacturing or damaged battery cells or devices, over-charging, and short circuiting. Li-ion batteries are an important source of energy and do not necessarily burn more frequently than other goods. It is only when they ignite that they are more difficult to extinguish as they can burn more ferociously and are capable of spontaneously reigniting hours or even days after they have been put out.
THE REPORT | DEC 2023 | ISSUE 106 | 67
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