Thursday, September 12, 2024

UK Sanctions “High-Volume Offenders” in Russian Shadow Tanker Fleet

UK officials announced the country’s third round of tanker sanctions this time highlighting they were targeting “high-volume offenders” within the Russian shadow fleet. Saying the effort was designed to “crack down on Russian oil revenues” they listed 10 tankers all previously associated with SCF (Sovcomflot) and now managed by a company registered in Dubai.

“Today’s sanctions further undermine Russia’s ability to trade in oil via its shadow fleet,” said UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy. “Russia has been forced to spend over $8 billion amassing this shadow fleet. But with sanctioned tankers loitering and unable to load oil, we are determined to make Putin’s investment an expensive misstep for the Kremlin.”

The UK contends that the previous sanctions launched since February 2022 and the start of the war in Ukraine have deprived Russia of more than $400 billion worth of assets and revenues. The UK has sanctioned over 2,000 individuals and entities and with new legal authority launched its efforts against the shadow fleet in July. With today’s action, the UK has listed a total of 25 tankers.

“Previous UK action against individual ‘shadow ships’ have left vessels materially disrupted, with the vast majority of them idling outside ports, and unable to carry on their trade in Russian oil,” the UK asserts in today’s announcement.

Of the 10 vessels listed, nine are among the group of ships transferred early in 2024 to the registry in Gabon. One remains registered in Panama.

All the ships were previously listed as being managed by SCF, but are now registered with management as Stream Ship Management FZCO of the UAE. The Equasis database shows the company managing 37 crude oil tankers starting in February and March 2024. The vessels are mostly classed by the Indian Register of Shipping or jointly with DNV or the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping.

The UK reports three of the vessels, Nikolay Zuyev (122,000 dwt), NS Asia (111,682 dwt), and Zaliv Aniva (102,900 dwt, and the only one registered in Panama) have collectively carried more than $5 billion worth of Russian oil since February 2022. The AIS signals from the three vessels show each currently in China.

Lammy said that Putin’s war machine is funded by a dark and illicit economic system and that the UK is committed to destabilizing. The vessels listed today are additions beyond the U.S. actions also targeting the shadow fleet.

The tanker sanctions come a day after a coordinated effort by the UK and U.S. targeting Russian cargo ships. The two countries listed a total of 13 cargo ships that they alleged were being used to transport missiles and other munitions from Iran to Russia.

Firefighters Injured in 2020 RoRo Fire Receive $16M in Lawsuit Settlements

Car carrier fire — 11 firefighters were injured during the efforts to control the fire on the RoRo (JFRD)

Firefighters injured during a 2020 fire aboard the car carrier Hoegh Xiamen while the vessel was docked in Jacksonville, Florida, have settled their legal claims with the owners and operators of the vessel and the port services companies. Lawyers representing the 11 injured firemen from the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department said the total settlement, which amounts to more than $16 million, is historic because it was the first time first responders were able to hold negligent the ship owners and shippers.

The 11 firefighters were injured while fighting a multiday inferno aboard the Hoegh Xiamen, a 12,250 dwt car carrier registered in Norway. The vessel, which had a capacity for up to 4,900 vehicles, was owned by Hoegh but operated under charter to Grimaldi Deepsea. It was preparing to depart Jacksonville on June 4, 2020, with approximately 2,400 used cars aboard.

More than 150 firefighters responded to the vessel and were able to evacuate the 21 crewmembers without reported injuries. The firefighters were in a stair tower aboard the ship when there was an explosion that caused burns as well as at least one broken arm. The firefighters were taken to a local hospital.

The subsequent investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board found several issues including the crew had failed to follow a Grimaldi policy to disconnect the car’s batteries and cover them with a protective shield. The lawyers contended that as many as 70 percent of the cars still had their batteries attached and it was a battery that started the fire. A spark from a battery they contend caused the explosion that injured the firefighters.

Other issues cited in the report included the master and crew’s lack of knowledge on how to contact local emergency resources. The NTSB also reported after the vessel was loaded the crew failed to restore the fire alarm system which they contend further contributed to the delayed response to the fire. The lawyers also alleged that communications were difficult because the crew spoke little or no English.

A Florida personal injury law firm, Pajcic & Pajcic, filed suit on behalf of the firefighters naming Hoegh and Grimaldi as well as Horizon Terminal Services and SSA Marine. The cases had been due to go to trial.

Attorney Curry Pajcic at a news conference on Monday contended, "For the first time in American judice prudence, in the history of maritime law, first responders have now been recognized to have a right to hold negligent ship owners and negligent shippers accountable and responsible when they cause harm to first responders."

Pajcic was announcing that they had reached a settlement with Horizon, SSA, and Grimaldi for approximately $16 million. Hoegh Autoliners, which was responsible for crewing the vessel according to the lawyers, reached a confidential settlement with the firefighters.

The vessel was declared a total loss. In August 2020, after salvage operations were completed, the Hoegh Xiamen was towed to Turkey to be recycled. The NTSB set the value of the loss at $40 million.

The case could also have implications in another tragedy that claimed the lives of two Newark, New Jersey firefighters. In July 2023, a fire broke out aboard the Grande Costa d’Avorio, an Italian-flagged conro operated by Grimaldi, while it was loading in Port Newark. The firefighters became separated from their teams and died on the vessel early in the firefight which also went on for days.

Video: Containers Floating in Rotterdam After Inland Cargo Ship Hits Bridge

inland cargo ship hitting bridge — Inland cargo ship lost five containers after hitting the underside of a Rotterdam roadway bridge (X)

For the second time this year, one of the many inland cargo vessels moving containers in and out of the Port of Rotterdam has hit one of the city’s roadway bridges. Residents living along the River Maas reported hearing a loud bang and scraping noise before seeing shipping containers from MSC and Maersk floating along the Maas River.

Officials were speculating the captain of the unnamed cargo vessel might have misjudged the clearance on the Willemsbrug bridge or the height of his load. Videos posted online showed the vessel getting partially under the bridge with the boxes hitting the underside and falling into the river. Others appeared to be askew on the deck of the vessel. The vessel kept going not stopping at the bridge.

A total of five containers were reported lost into the river with officials saying three were floating in the channel toward the Van Brenenoord Bridge. Residents describing the screen on TV said the next vessel in the river had to make an emergency stop so as not to hit the containers. Some reports are saying two of the containers sank while others are saying four have been retrieved. One of the containers that sank has reportedly been spotted on the river bed.

The vessel has been detained while the captain is being interviewed. They are also checking the bridge. Broadcast reports say the bridge sustained damage and engineers are now working to establish the extent of the damage.

A very similar situation happened in March when another inland vessel became wedged under the Willemsbrug bridge crossing the Nieuwe Maas. It lost at least two containers into the waterway and rescue teams had to wait at least two hours while the water level in the river lowered before they were able to pull the vessel free.

KiwiRail Fined $260K for 2023 Ferry Blackout Due to Maintenance Failures

Kaitaki ferry — Kaitaki blacked out in 2023 due to maintenance issues resulting in today's file (KiwiRail file photo)

KiwiRail, the operator of RoRo ferries between New Zealand’s north and south islands, was ordered to pay US$266,000 in fines and costs after a 2023 incident that endangered the lives of more than 800 people aboard the company’s ferry Kaitaki. Maritime New Zealand filed charges against the operator of the large inter-island ferry after an investigation found the company had installed an outdated critical engine gasket and that it was overdue for replacement when it failed causing the vessel to black out.

“This is an alarming example of what can go wrong when maintenance is poorly managed,” said Kirstie Hewlett, Director of Maritime NZ commenting on the fines leveled against the company. “We have been clear to KiwiRail about our expectations around the management of its fleet, and KiwiRail has undertaken significant work since.”

The company was cited for the incident that took place on January 28, 2023. Its vessel the Kaitaki, built in 1995 in the Netherlands and operating for KiwiRail since 2005, blacked out as it was approaching Wellington, New Zealand with over 800 people aboard. The ferry is 22,365 gross tons with a capacity for 1,650 passengers as well as 600 cars and makes an approximately 3.5-hour run between the two islands.

That day it departed Picton at 2:00 p.m. and three hours later it was near Sinclair Head outside Wellington when the vessel lost power. The crew dropped anchor and declared a mayday while passengers were mustered and given life jackets. At the time, strong southerly winds were gusting up to 45 knots and the swells were up to nearly 10 feet near the entrance to Wellington harbor. Maritime NZ highlights if the anchor had not held, the vessel would have been driven ashore on the rocks. It took about an hour to restore power and the ship limped into Wellington escorted by a tug and docking around 9:00 pm.

The subsequent investigation found that a rubber expansion joint that was 18 years old and overdue for replacement under both the manufacturer and company guidelines had failed. KiwiRail confirmed in the days after the incident that there had been a leak in the vessel’s engine cooling system that caused a loss of pressure and automatic sensors shut down all four engines to prevent overheating.

New Zealand’s Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC) later reported there were a dozen of the gaskets aboard the vessel and that the one that failed had been manufactured in 2005. It sat on a shelf till 2018 when it was installed. Two others aboard the vessel were also found to be 13 years old.

Today’s decision in the case levied a fine of US$253,700 for its breach under the Health and Safety at Work Act. The company was also ordered to pay US$12,300 in costs.

Maritime Union of New Zealand National Secretary Carl Findlay issued a statement after the verdict saying the failure should never have happened. The union also used it as an opportunity to again call for a replacement fleet.

“But you can’t look at this without the bigger picture,” said Findlay. “This is critical infrastructure that is aging out and has been underfunded by successive governments for years.”

KiwiRail had plans for a new fleet of ferries ordered from South Korea’s Hyundai Mipo Shipyard. The government refused to fund the project in 2023 and the order was canceled earlier this year. The current fleet of ferries was built between 1988 and 1998 and has had a series of problems. In June, another of the company’s ferries, Aratere (18,000 GT) went aground departing Picton. It was refloated the following day with the aid of tugs while further questions were raised about the future operations of the aging fleet.

Japanese to Study Feasibility of Floating Vertical Axis Wind Turbines

A consortium of companies in Japan is proceeding to the next phase of a project sponsored by the Japanese government to test the feasibility of large-scale floating vertical axis wind turbines. They believe that the new design can yield greater efficiency contributing to the commercial development of floating offshore wind turbines.

Commercializing floating wind technology is seen as critical to Japan’s ability to achieve its goals of transitioning to a significant portion of its power coming from renewable sources. The government is targeting renewable energy while seeking to encourage the transition from coal-fired and other high-emission power generation. Japan’s offshore topography however is challenging due to the volcanic nature of the island chain and the limited availability of relatively shallow coastal waters around Japan to support fixed-bottom wind turbines.

Japan’s national research and development agency, NEDO (New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization) has launched a public call for projects to develop next-generation technologies that help promote the adoption of floating offshore wind power. Five Japanese companies are leading the project including (“K” LINE (Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha) which is focusing on the installation, maintenance, and operation of the wind turbines. Albatross Technology is developing the design while J-Power and Tokyo Electric Power Company represent the energy industry.

Using a vertical axis wind turbine, the companies believe will increase the power generation and achieve a cost reduction for the overall installation and ongoing operation and maintenance expenses. The concept uses a series of smaller paddles, a maximum height of approximately 360 feet making it closer to the surface, and critically it can tilt up to 20 degrees while maintaining output. It uses a rotating cylindrical floating foundation. Conventional horizontal axis floating wind turbines have a high center of gravity which requires a large and expensive to build floating structure to maintain the stability of the turbines, especially in harsh conditions such as a typhoon.

The next phase of the project is a feasibility study to verify the viability of large-scale commercial vertical axis (floating axis) wind turbines, where both the turbine and floating foundation rotate together. The consortium will conduct design work to obtain basic design approval.

The partners previously said they plan to jointly develop a small-scale (20kW) experimental floating axis wind turbine that will be installed in Japanese waters. After confirming the validity of the analysis and design method, they plan to proceed to a larger scale (megawatt class) offshore demonstration project.

ECOCIDE

Oiled Birds Found as South Africa Investigates Spill from MSC Vessel

MSC containership at anchor — MSC Apollo is anchored waiting a berth after the vessel was inspected to identify the source of the oil spill (SAMSA)

Survey efforts are continuing along the South African coast after an MSC vessel was believed to have spilled an unknown quantity of oil into Algoa Bay area near Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) last Saturday, September 7. Rangers searching a bird sanctuary reported that they found a few oiled birds but overall, the spill appears to be fairly limited in scope. No oil has yet been seen on the beaches and they were unable to locate an oil strain in an overflight of the area.

Rangers accessing St. Croix Island, a bird preserve approximately five miles offshore, however, identified six oiled penguins the South Africa Maritime Safety Authority reported. Environmentalists highlight that the South African penguin is listed as an endangered species with reports putting the population at under 50,000 birds. The animal has a small natural habitat along the coast of South Africa and Namibia. Small prior oil spills in the same area in 2016 and 2019 harmed penguin rookeries and habitat. In 2022, an oil spill in the bay during a bunkering operation prompted South Africa to suspend fueling operations. Fueling was stopped in the bay between 2019 and 2022 because of the dangers.

Three of the birds were heavily oiled while three lightly oiled. The penguins were captured and transported to the local SANCCOB facility for treatment. However, SAMSA reports two additional oiled penguins evaded capture. Efforts are ongoing to locate and capture them.

Rangers reached the small bird islands in the bay looking for oil and injured animals (SAMSA)

“Further wildlife surveillance in the area is being coordinated with SANCCOB,” said SAMSA in its update. “The public is urged to report any sightings of oiled birds to SANCCOB, and any oiled mammals should be reported to Bayworld officials. Surveillance and monitoring of the affected areas will continue, weather permitting, to mitigate any environmental impact.”

After the oil was first reported on Saturday, a fast response boat from Transnet surveyed the Port Elizabeth anchorage and located the oil. They identified the MSC Apollo (81,171 dwt) one of MSC’s smaller vessels of the company’s fleet, as the likely source of the spill. It was holding in Aloga Bay before a scheduled arrival in Port of Ngqura on the Eastern Cape. Oil stains were seen on the hull of the vessel and teams were waiting for the weather to improve to clean the hull to prevent more oil from entering the water.

AMSA reports that the class society for the vessel, RINA, is involved representing the flag state, Cyprus, and dealing with technical issues on the vessel.

“A thorough inspection will be conducted to identify the source of the oil leak,” reports SAMSA. The vessel will proceed to the port when dock space becomes available.

Surveys will continue to look for the oil and its impact on the wildlife and beaches of the region.

CNOOC Makes First Ultra-Deepwater Gas Discovery in South China Sea

Chinese state-owned energy company CNOOC has made the first ultra-deepwater gas find in the South China Sea. The well produced 430,000 cubic meters per day in an open flow test, making it a major find and a groundbreaking development for the Pearl River Mouth Basin.

The well was drilled in the Baiyn Sag, about 150 nautical miles to the south of Shenzhen. (This area is within China's legal exclusive economic zone and is uncontested, unlike many other oil and gas-rich regions of the South China Sea.) The drilling crew found a gas pay zone about 650 meters long in a well of about 4,400 meters in depth.

"Previously, exploration in China's ultra-deepwater areas mainly focused on clastic rocks. The success of this well has, for the first time, revealed the enormous potential of carbonate rocks in China's ultra-deep waters, marking significant breakthroughs in both exploration understanding and operational techniques," said CNOOC chief geologist Xu Changgui.

The new find is located next to existing production facilities for another field, so a tieback arrangement could be used to economically develop the new well.

It is the second major discovery that CNOOC has announced in a matter of months. In June, the company hit a major find at the Lingshui 36-1 reservoir, which proved to contain more than 100 billion cubic meters (3.5 trillion cubic feet) of natural gas. It is an ultra-shallow field in ultra-deep water - the first field of this kind in the world - and the gas layer lies just 200 meters below the seabed in 1,500 meters of water. Testing showed that it could produce up to 10 million cubic meters per day.

The company's recent success occurs under new leadership. Former general manager Li Yong retired in December 2023, and the powerful Central Commission for Discipline Inspection began examining his record three months later. On Wednesday, the commission announced that Li had been expelled from the party for alleged misconduct, including accepting bribes, trading power for money, maintaining ties with "unscrupulous businessmen," misusing his position for personal gain, and "engaging in activities that could compromise the impartial execution of official duties." He had worked at state-owned oil companies since 1984, including three years as head of CNOOC.

NGO’s Migrant Rescue Ship Wins Detention Reprieve from Italian Courts

Mediterranean rescue ship — Detention order on the rescue vessel Geo Barents was suspended (MSF)

The group Doctors Without Borders (Medecins Sans Frontieres or MSF) is reporting that it won a significant victory from the Italian courts in Salerno releasing its rescue vessel Geo Barents from its latest government detention order. NGOs operating rescue vessels like the Geo Barents have been fighting with the Italian government over regulations that they argue are designed to hamper their rescue efforts focusing on the small boats attempting to cross the Mediterranean mostly from Libya.

The Geo Barents was facing its third detention order since the new rules went into effect early in 2023. According to MSF, the Italian government has issued 23 detention orders on the rescue vessels since the decree was issued approximately 20 months ago. This latest detention was for 60 days making it the longest of the orders the Geo Barents had faced.

The detention order was issued on August 26 with the Italian authorities alleged the vessel had violated maritime safety regulations. The groups are required under the decree to report their activity to the Italian authorities and request a port of landing from the Italian Coast Guard. They allege that Italy is purposefully directing the vessels to more distant ports to delay the efforts.

Built in 2007 for offshore operations, the vessel was converted and began sailing for the charity in 2021 with reports the 5,000-ton ship is certified for up to 300 people. The ship was detained in July 2021, less than three months after it went into service after a Port State inspection found 22 deficiencies. It was also given a 20-day detention order in March 2024 for allegedly failing to comply with instructions from the Libyan Coast Guard.

During the latest incident, MSF says the vessel conducted five rescues on August 23. The Italian authorities accused them of not “providing timely information.”

“We strongly refute these allegations,” Juan Matias Gil, MSF search and rescue representative said when the order was issued. The group said it was calling on the Italian authorities “to immediately release the Geo Barents.”

Rescue mission in the Mediterranean (Stefan Pejovic photo courtesy of MSF)

According to its explanation, in the middle of the night, the crew came across a small fiberglass boat and saw people jumping, falling, or being pushed into the sea. The rescue team they assert had to act immediately to stabilize the situation and rescue the people from the Mediterranean. MSF believes the people were in imminent danger of drowning or getting lost in the darkness.

MSF placed an appeal with the Italian courts for the lifting of the detention. Today, the group posted online a message reading, “The ship is free to rescue lives!” It reported the court suspended the detention order.

The Italian government however cites a drop in the number of arrivals and reports of people drowning to validate its decree while saying it will expand the effort. They want to stop the departures from Africa.

Italy reports arrivals by sea in 2024 are down 62 percent but that still equates to about 44,500 people in the first eight months of the year. They also contend that reports of drownings have been cut in half, while the charities point out that around 1,100 people are known to have drowned or gone missing this year.

MSF highlights that it has been active in search and rescue since 2015 working independently or in partnership for a total of eight vessels. The report in the 10 years they have rescued more than 91,000 people. The Geo Barents alone they report has rescued more than 12,300 people. They report the recovery of 24 bodies, arranging for four people to be four medical evacuated and assisting in the delivery of one baby.

Remembering 9/11: Lt. Michael Day and the Lower Manhattan Boatlift

Published Sep 10, 2024 1:54 PM by U.S. Coast Guard News

On September 11, 2001, Lieutenant Michael Day was working at Coast Guard Activities New York preparing to leave for a meeting at Tower One of the World Trade Center when the command center alert came in. A plane had hit one of the World Trade Center towers. Then another hit.

“We were unable to get any reports from lower Manhattan since all the communications systems failed. It was chaotic. People from multiple agencies were responding to the scene without any unity of purpose,” he said. “There wasn’t a pre-planned response; there was no CONOP for how to respond to two planes crashing into the Towers.”

Not having a specific response plan for this situation, Day grabbed the closest thing he could think of to help – the OPSAIL 2000 plan.

“I knew it had a lot of ambulance staging areas. We had a lot of evacuation points identified. Although it wasn’t necessarily a full-scale evacuation plan, it had information,” he said.

As Day rushed out the door to head to the waterfront, Andrew McGovern, pilot of the 100-foot pilot boat NEW YORK, showed up for the meeting. They grabbed a bunch of extra lifejackets, the OPSAIL plan, a Coast Guard Ensign and headed for the pilot boat.

“I remember listening to the radio because by this time we were underway on the boat and it was just… chaos. Every channel you clicked to people were screaming, ‘Help, people are here… I’ve got someone hurt here’,” he said.

With a front row seat to the collapsing buildings, frightened people and distressing devastation, Day only momentarily worried about his own safety. With thousands of citizens needing help, he didn’t have time to stop and think about what was happening.

Despite poor radio communication and unreliable cellular reception, Day began dispatching Coast Guardsmen with handheld radios to the piers to help coordinate a more organized evacuation effort. Meanwhile, he hoisted the Coast Guard Ensign on the pilot boat and began broadcasting to all available boats willing to help with the evacuation to assemble off the tip of Governors Island and await further assignment.

New Yorkers rushed to the Lower Manhattan water front to try to escape the collapse of the World Trade Center towers September 11. They were later evacuated by ferries and tugboats from all over New York harbor. (USCG photo by Chief Brandon Brewer)

The process of transporting the crowds of people from Manhattan to safety, one boat load at a time, continued into the evening. With the pilot boat docked in lower Manhattan, still flying the Coast Guard Ensign, first responders began asking them for help.

Establishing communications with the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management, he was able to start getting some supplies brought over to the pier… first water, then ice and meals. Soon, more specific items like tools, equipment and fuel began to arrive.

“We were quickly overrun with relief supplies,” he said. “It was just such a ‘can do’ effort. Everyone wanted to help.”

In what he called, “hands-on VTS,” Day and a Chief Boatswain’s Mate managed the hundreds of vessels bringing supplies to the pier.

“We set up three different staging areas because the supplies were coming in so fast and furious that we were running out of room, and we couldn’t distribute them fast enough,” he added.

The pure scope of the event and lack of communication with his superiors meant making decisions wasn’t always easy for Day, nor were his actions always by the book, but he looks at the response as great example of initiative and teamwork. Getting more than one hundred boats and dozens of response crews to work together cohesively is not an easy task. But for Day, it just sort of happened under what he describes as a “common purpose.”

A Coast Guard rescue team from Sandy Hook, NJ, races to the scene of the World Trade Center terrorist attack. (USCG photo by PA2 Tom Sperduto)

Day also learned valuable leadership lessons.

“One is the value of partnering and partnerships, and building your bridges before you need them,” he said. “Two, making your people feel empowered. I really felt when I worked for Admiral Bennis that I was totally empowered to do the right thing. And three, to have faith in your people and the power of the concept of unity of purpose.”

After four days of responding with only about three hours of sleep total, Day finally had some time to reflect on what had happened.

“And it’s when I had quiet time, you know, a little bit alone to myself that it really, really struck home,” he said. “I think being in the Coast Guard we kind of shut things off at times of stress; it’s like a defense mechanism.”

This article originally appeared in Coast Guard Compass and may be found in archived form here.

The opinions expressed herein are the author's and not necessarily those of The Maritime Executive.

Managing the Growing Risk of Li-Ion Battery Fires

Felicity Ace — An electric vehicle may have started the fire on this PCTC, according to the shipowner (File image & caption via TME)

The global energy transition has led to an acceleration of new and innovative technologies designed to support decarbonization efforts across the global supply chain. The maritime industry plays a fundamental part in this effort, not simply by addressing its own impact on global CO2 emissions, but also by facilitating the availability and transportation of new and innovative technologies that are designed to mitigate carbon emissions.

For instance, the shipping industry is playing a critical role in accelerating the green automotive market, particularly the global transportation of electric vehicles (EVs) and large battery hybrids. According to Statista, the EV market is projected to grow by nearly 10% each year and account for over 17 million vehicles by 2028. However, this development also brings with it significant safety implications that don’t just impact the vessel, but also the health and wellbeing of crew members onboard - specifically in relation to the significant increase in fire risks presented by the lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries used in EVs.

At UK P&I, we understand the need for constant assessment of new and emerging risks for our members, as they attempt to navigate this period of transition within the industry. A key example of this forward-looking approach is the recent launch of our new Safety & Risk Management division in April 2024, which repositioned our in-house capability to encourage members to deepen their identification of safety and risk alongside tighter monitoring and reporting of safety performance.

Although it is encouraging to see EVs playing an increasingly important role in achieving governments' net zero mandates for sustainable transportation, the speed with which their presence is growing represents a steep learning curve for supply chain participants – especially shipping companies, both in understanding the risk of li-ion batteries and how to manage fire incidents specifically.

Li-ion batteries are the preferred technology for EVs due to their high energy density and efficiency. However, such batteries are inherently volatile and can catch fire or explode under certain conditions. The characteristics of fires caused by li-ion batteries are complex, and the shipping industry is making continuous efforts to understand effective ways to mitigate them. When incidents do occur, the threat to crew, vessels, cargo, and the environment is profound.

The main characterization of a lithium battery fire is the creation of an extremely hot thermal runaway, a primary risk where the battery’s internal temperature rapidly increases, leading to a fire or explosion. A li-ion battery fire will sustain itself, meaning that rather than lasting minutes or hours, a fire can continue for days. Such an event can be triggered by physical damage, manufacturing defects, as well as exposure to extreme temperatures.

Although the number of such incidents on vessels that have been found to originate from EVs in recent years is assumed to be low, they are increasing and there have been several recent high-profile incidents where the presence of li-ion batteries has complicated firefighting efforts. In 2022, the Cargo Incident Notification System (CINS) – which was established by a group of container shipping lines and advisory organizations to share data on cargo-related incidents – reported 65 fires on board container vessels, more than double the 31 reported in both 2020 and 2021. These situations have required large-scale emergency assistance and the use of external salvage and firefighting resources, which are not always readily available. Such incidents have led to both fatalities and significant financial loss.

Despite the nature of the risk being the same, the implications of transporting EVs via both car carriers as well as in containers are different, and each comes with its own individual sets of risks. It is a legal requirement that EVs are declared as dangerous goods (DG) when transported in containers. However, the current DG regulations contain no specific restrictions related to stowage and segregation. This lack of stowage and segregation restrictions means that EVs on container ships can be stored near cargoes or operations where fires could originate, or near cargoes with corrosive properties. Furthermore, there are currently no declaration requirements for EVs being transported on vehicle carriers (PCC’s, Ro-Paxes, etc). Although these vessels are designed with additional fire safety measures, this lack of information makes it difficult to plan where EVs should be loaded to reduce exposure to any fire risks. It also makes it difficult to contain fires that EVs could be exposed to.

The continued growth of the EV market, coupled with the seeming increase in regularity of fire incidents onboard, means that the industry must act quickly and decisively to mitigate the growing risk. However, shipping companies cannot manage the fire risk of li-ion batteries alone. This is a complex, interconnected issue that requires collaboration between multiple stakeholders throughout supply chains, starting with equipment manufacturers and in developing associated regulations.

Recent examples of such collaboration are encouraging. From a PCC perspective, the Vehicle Carrier Safety Forum recently published its first good practice guidelines on ‘Common guidance on the loading and presentation of vehicles,’ which was based on shared best practice between shipping companies, the International Group of P&I Clubs (IG), the International Chamber of Commerce, and the TT Club. In 2023, the IG also co-sponsored the CINS’s ‘Lithium Batteries in Containers Guidelines.’ This is encouraging progress across both shipping sectors, but guidance on issues such as EV identification and segregation will only be effective if there is alignment with freight forwarders’ and terminal operators’ processes.

Rising EV volumes are reshaping the risk profile of managing hazardous cargoes, and this is going to increase as the market grows. Ultimately, the key to taking control of such a potentially volatile presence on board is proactive defense and risk mitigation. Through effective crew training, ship owners and operators are able to establish a robust line of defense against li-ion battery fires on their vessels. This requires a reassessment in current approaches both in terms of fire detection, firefighting equipment, and in firefighting strategy. Managing fires caused by li-ion batteries requires a ‘Fixed Fire Extinguishing System First’ defensive strategy focused on early detection and containment.

Although this is a multifaceted issue, with many contributing elements across the EV supply chain, adapting and strengthening training will make a marked difference in equipping vessel operators and crews with suitable guidance to better understand the challenges they face. An industrywide standardization in crew training will create greater confidence in managing the immediate risks while building a strong foundation for change.

Petar Modev is Head of Ship Inspection at UK P&I.