On the night of July 25-26, 2023, the Panamanian-registered ro-ro vessel – a ship specialized in transporting vehicles – Fremantle Highway caught fire at sea off the coast of the Netherlands. The ship was carrying 3,783 new cars, including 498 electric vehicles, to Singapore. The fire started on board, and a distress call was quickly sent to the coast guard. However, this was not enough to prevent the death of one crew member who jumped into the water to escape the flames, and other crew members were injured.
The impressive fire started on a lower level of the 18,500-ton freighter, then spread to other levels and continued for several days. However, the firefighting tugs were able to bring the fire under control without sinking the ship after spraying it with water. It was then towed to the port of Eemshaven in the Netherlands. But the incident did not go unnoticed.
In addition to the risk of an ecological disaster caused by this fire, he highlighted another risk with implications for international maritime transport: the outbreak of a fire in an electric vehicle on board a ship. This is a new risk that must be taken into account as the sale of these vehicles increases worldwide.
Danger highlighted by fire on container freighter Fremantle Highway
Following the outbreak of this fire on the ro-ro Fremantle Highway, an investigation was conducted to determine the cause of the fire.
Initially, the electric vehicles on board, equipped with lithium batteries, were blamed for starting the fire and helping to spread the flames. This accusation led to much controversy about these vehicles. However, almost all of the electric cars transported on that cargo ship came out intact. So, were they really the cause of the fire? More than a year after the fire, we still don’t know because the investigation is still incomplete.
However, this incident is a good illustration of the new risk that international maritime transport has been facing in recent years: the fire of electric vehicles equipped with lithium-ion batteries transported on ships. If this happens, the consequences can be catastrophic (and even more so if the ships sink):
- Deaths;
- Injuries;
- Pollution of water, marine ecosystems and air from the fumes and liters of fuel contained in these cargo ships.
A fire that is very difficult to extinguish due to the presence of lithium batteries
Electric vehicle fires are difficult for firefighters and rescue workers to control because of the lithium batteries they contain. On land, and even more so on water.
When a lithium battery catches fire, its temperature rises rapidly. This can lead to thermal runaway, making it even more difficult to control the fire. To achieve this, the battery must be submerged in water to reduce the heat and intensity of the flames.
But at sea, when the fire involves many batteries, such an operation risks sinking the ship and causing major ecological damage. And let’s not forget that there is currently no way to extinguish lithium battery fires. It is only possible to control them, to prevent the spread of flames and smoke. But you have to wait until the temperature drops and all the stored energy is consumed. A real problem that is becoming a major issue for international shipping, as electric vehicles are manufactured on different continents:
- Manufactured in different continents;
- Sold worldwide;
- Transported by sea from one country to another.
Without forgetting ferries and passenger vessels, which can also carry electric vehicles…
More frequent fires on ro-ro ships in recent years
The fire on the Fremantle Highway in July 2023 has been talked about a lot, but it’s not the only one. Other vessels carrying electric vehicles have been victims in recent years (although lithium batteries are not always the cause of fires). For example:
- The Grande America in March 2019, which caught fire and sank west of La Rochelle in the Atlantic Ocean;
- The Felicity Ace in March 2022, which sank in the Atlantic with 4,000 luxury cars on board;
- The Grande Costa d’Avorio, which caught fire and sank off Newark, New Jersey in July 2023.
The increasing number of such fires calls for new preventive measures. The IMO (the UN agency responsible for maritime safety and security) has announced that analyses will be carried out to establish new rules for the transport of electric vehicles.
It is also essential to train ship crews in firefighting and in the means available to control lithium battery fires, such as the use of fire blankets.