According to the Allianz report, a combination of causes is increasing the risk of fires at sea. Decarbonization, while a positive global development, has led to new types of cargo such as electric vehicles (EVs) and the prevalence of lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries which pose a growing risk for container shipping and car carriers. The Li-ion market is expected to grow by over 30% annually over the next decade. Nearly 10% of global car sales were electric in 2021, four times the market share in 2019.
In March 2023, the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) published its CARGOSAFE study, which assesses the risks associated with fires on container ships and evaluates prevention, detection, firefighting, and containment measures. The study indicated that the main cargo types identified as responsible for a large share of cargo fire accidents included Li-ion batteries.
Furthermore, the cause of many cargo fires can be attributed to mis- declared dangerous goods. By way of example, in August 2021, a container loaded with discarded Li-ion batteries, intended to be loaded on board a container ship bound for China, caught fire whilst being transported to the port. The bill of lading listed “computer parts,” not Li-ion batteries. The Cargo Incident Notification
System (CINS) indicates that nearly 25% of all serious incidents onboard container ships can be attributed to mis-declared cargo.
THE HAZARDS
One of the main hazards of Li- ion batteries is ‘thermal runaway’, rapid, uncontrolled self-heating that can lead to fire and can cause an explosion. The main causes of Li-ion fires are said to be defective manufacturing or damaged battery cells or devices, over-charging, and short-circuiting. Fires in EVs with Li- ion batteries are hotter, take longer to extinguish, and can spontaneously reignite. They can also release poisonous, irritating or corrosive gases that cause an explosion in a confined space.
SOME RECENT SHIPPING FIRE INCIDENTS
In July 2023, a fire broke out on board the Panamanian-registered car carrier Fremantle Highway off the Dutch coast. The vessel was en route from Germany to Egypt. One crew member died, and many others were hospitalised. The fire took several days to bring under control. The industry press reported that almost 500 of the cars on board (over 3,700 in total) were EVs.
In June 2020, the Hoegh Xiamen caught fire in Jackson, Florida. It was carrying almost 2,500 used vehicles on board. The fire took over a week to extinguish and there was a total loss of the vessel and cargo. The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigation indicated that the fire started due to an electrical fault from an improperly disconnected battery in a used vehicle.
At the time of writing, an investigation had been launched by the Panamanian authorities and the Netherlands was assisting with the inquiry. While the cause of the fire remained unconfirmed, there was some suggestion in the industry press that the fire started in the Li- ion battery of one of the EVs. In February 2022, the Japanese RoRo cargo ship Felicity Ace was carrying thousands of luxury cars from Germany to the USA but sank off the coast of the Azores after a fire broke out onboard. The fire burnt for about two weeks, after which the vessel sank. The Panamanian Maritime Authority reportedly submitted its report to the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) in May 2023, but the findings had not yet, at the time of writing, been made publicly available. However, within the industry, the cause of the fire is suspected to be the EVs that were onboard.
THE REPORT | DEC 2024 | ISSUE 110 | 63
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 |
Page 145 |
Page 146 |
Page 147 |
Page 148
