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EV AT SEA BATTERIES • RAPID GROWTH IN THE USE OF ELECTRIC VEHICLES IS RAISING NEW SAFETY CONCERNS, PARTICULARLY DURING THEIR TRANSPORT BY SEA, AS THE UK P&I CLUB HIGHLIGHTS IT IS QUITE LIKELY that anyone reading HCB knows that lithium cells and batteries – both lithium ion and lithium metal – are treated as dangerous goods for transport purposes. That goes equally for those contained in equipment (or packed with equipment) and for the batteries shipped alone. There have been numerous fires involving lithium batteries being transported by all modes, which are of particular concern in the aviation sector but are also a problem for maritime and road transport. The recent rapid growth in the manufacture and use of electric vehicles has added to the list of hazards, during the transport of new
vehicles from production plants as well as during the return of damaged or defective batteries, not least since the batteries are generally quite large. However, as yet the amount of realistic data about the potential fire risk of electric vehicles is limited. To try and gather more information, the UK Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA) issued a consultation document this past October on a draft Marine Guidance Note (MGN 653(M)) on the transport of electric vehicles on passenger ro-ro (ro-pax) ferries; but the problem also presents itself in the specialised car carrier market. The UK P&I Club is also trying to raise
awareness of the potential hazards, since it realises that regulations can be slow to respond to rapid changes in the nature of the shipping market and emerging hazards; the Club says the onus will be on the maritime industry to develop new operating procedures and on crews to use those procedures to mitigate the risks. Many vessel operators are already taking a cautious approach to the carriage of electric vehicles and those powered by alternative fuels. A RANGE OF RISK It is not that electric vehicles are inherently unsafe; does a car with a large battery represent more of a risk than a car with a tank full of flammable liquid? The UK P&I Club says, though, that new technology always carries with it the potential for unintended consequences and it is important for every stakeholder to understand the risks to mitigate them effectively. There are also different types of new technology: there are ‘pure’ electric vehicles (EVs) that are fitted with rechargeable batteries and have to be charged from an external power source; plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) have a smaller battery but also a conventional engine powered by gasoline or diesel; and hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles have no battery, instead generating power from hydrogen. In recent years, the technology applied to electric vehicles has advanced remarkably quickly and will likely continue to do so, in a search for longer driving range and smaller batteries. This creates challenges in terms of battery manufacturing quality, the Club states. The main hazard posed by a rechargeable lithium battery is that, if it catches fire, it can result in temperatures of 1,000°C or more; it can also release toxic gases. Such a fire on the cargo deck of a ro-ro vessel or on a car carrier could spread rapidly, posing risks to the vessel, the crew and the environment. Such a fire could be initiated by the battery itself, either due to damage or faulty charging, leading to thermal runaway; a fire might start elsewhere and spread to the battery; or in the case of a fuel cell, there could be an explosion due to the release of hydrogen resulting from damage or fire engulfment.
HCB MONTHLY | JANUARY 2022
