Lithium-ion Batteries

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released an investigation report into the blaze on the bridge of the crude tanker S-Trust. On 13 November 2022, a fire started on the bridge of the crude tanker S-Trust while the vessel was docked at the Genesis Port Allen Terminal in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Fire teams from the vessel’s crew extinguished the fire. There were no injuries and no pollution was reported. The damage to the vessel was estimated at $3 million.

The S-Trust was a Liberian-flagged, 800-foot-long, steel-hulled liquid bulk cargo vessel. The vessel was built in 2005 and had a cargo capacity of 741,732 barrels. Continue reading “Crude tanker S-Trust fire caused by lithium-Ion battery is finding”

Devastating consequences of rapidly spreading, and often challenging to extinguish fires involving the lithium-ion batteries particularly in electric vehicles (EV) on board ships, and other parts of the supply chain have been well-documented in recent months. There is however far less awareness of the highly toxic combustion products that are released and their respective impact to the health and wellbeing of those exposed to the gases.

Based on the evidence of past fires the time between the initiation of a failed battery igniting to a discharge of toxic vapour can be measured in seconds rather than minutes. This is due to a process known as thermal runaway. Continue reading “Fire not the only danger with lithium-ion batteries”

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.” Continue reading “IUMI publishes “Best practice & recommendations for the safe carriage of electric vehicles””

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 guidelines on the safe transportation of electric vehicles.

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. Continue reading “ClassNK releases guidelines on the safe transportation of electric vehicles”

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) has issued this safety advisory notice to inform the public and raise awareness of the risks involved in the transportation of electric vehicles (EVs) powered by installed lithium batteries that may have been damaged due to submersion in waters during extreme weather events. When transported in commerce, EVs containing these damaged batteries may present particularly significant hazards to the public, including property damage, injury, and even death. Our intention with this notice is to prevent those things from happening. Continue reading “Transportation of electric vehicles containing lithium batteries damaged by extreme weather events”

At the heart of efforts to draw attention to the hazards inherent in transporting lithium-ion batteries, specialist freight insurer TT Club now urges debate leading to a balanced, yet realistic awareness of the dangers, and a united approach to enhancing their safe carriage. Improved regulatory clarity is required and auto manufacturers need to address transport safety issues more thoroughly.

Rapid development of battery technology and the uncertainties Continue reading “De-risking the carriage of lithium-ion batteries”