The recent fire on Fremantle Highway has attracted considerable attention of the shipping industry, and the estimated cargo loss was over 330 million U.S. dollars. Safety concerns over car carriers, especially EV carriers, are again triggered, after continuous reports of fire incidents. This article, with a review on major car carrier fire incidents in the last five years, looks into the risks associated with vehicle transportation and shares some points for car carrier Members to consider in fire hazard prevention.

I. Car carrier fire incidence

The data from Lloyd’s List Intelligence do not highlight a dramatically high percentage of fires on board vehicle carriers, and we are not seeing any increase in the number. On the contrary, the percentage has gone down in recent years. Yet burning car carriers have become an area of significant concern. This is because fires on board car carriers escalate so quickly to a point that it becomes difficult to bring the situation under control given the close proximity of the vehicles. Potential total loss of the ship and cargo may amount to hundreds of millions of dollars, which will undoubtedly be catastrophic for the shipowner, the cargo owner and the insurer, and bring a huge impact to the shipping industry.

That is to say despite the low incidence, car carrier fires can have very serious consequences. Let’s take a look back at some major incidents in the last five years to get a picture of the gigantic loss that can be caused.

II. Major incidents since 2018

Fremantle Highway – On 25 July 2023, the Panama-flagged car carrier caught fire in the North Sea while en route from Bremerhaven, Germany to Port Said, Egypt. One of the crew died and several others were injured. The charterer K Line revealed that the ship was carrying 3,783 cars including 498 electric vehicles (EV). Up to the time this article was written, the blaze was extinguished, and the cause is still under investigation. Cargo loss was estimated at around 330 million US dollars.

Grande Costa D’Avorio – On 5 July 2023, the Italian-flagged ConRo ship caught fire while loading used vehicles for export at Port Newark, New Jersey. Two firefighters were tragically killed and six others were injured. The fire continued to burn for about six days before it was extinguished. The ship’s operator, Grimaldi Deep Sea, said that the ship was carrying around 1,200 vehicles and 157 containers, but supposedly no EVs or hazardous cargo was on board. The investigation into the contributing factors is being led by the U.S. Coast Guard along with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).

Felicity Ace – On 16 February 2022, the Panama-flagged vessel caught fire approximately 90 nautical miles southwest of the Azores while underway from Embden, Germany to the US. All 22 crew members abandoned ship safely. The fire was out about a week later, but the ship eventually sank during tow. The incident was expected to generate losses of at least 500 million dollars. The Panama Maritime Authority’s investigation report into the incident was submitted to the IMO in May but is not yet publicly available. According to the master of the ship, the fire was believed to have been started by the battery in one of the electric cars.

Höegh Xiamen – The vessel was carrying 2,420 used cars on board when it caught fire in Jacksonville, Florida on 4 June 2020. Nine firefighters were injured in response to the fire which took over a week to extinguish, resulting in a loss of over 40 million dollars. The NTBS investigation revealed the fire started due to an electrical fault from an improperly disconnected battery in a used vehicle. It also determined the probable cause of the fire was ineffective oversight of longshoremen by the ship’s charterer, and the stevedores failed to identify that the vehicle battery securement procedures were not being followed. The crew’s failure to reactivate the fire detection system after loading was completed and the Master’s decision to delay the release of the carbon dioxide fixed fire extinguishing system contributed to the extent of the fire in the car carrier.

Grande America – The vessel was aflame on a voyage from Hamburg, Germany to Casablanca, Morocco on 10 March 2019 and sank in the Bay of Biscay two days later with its VDR unrecovered. The ship was carrying around 860 tons of dangerous goods and about 2,100 new and used vehicles. The crew abandoned ship and were rescued without any injuries. Italian authorities have submitted final reports to the IMO, but they are not yet publicly available. The NTSB says investigators were unable to determine a definite cause of the fire other than that fire teams found sparks coming from a truck on a vehicle deck.

Sincerity Ace – On 31 December 2018, the Panama-flagged vessel, with 21 crew members on board, caught fire while in the middle of the Pacific Ocean about 1,800 nautical miles from Oahu, forcing the master to order the vessel abandoned. 16 crew members were rescued by nearby commercial ships and the other five lost their lives in the incident. The fire continued to burn for several days, and the ship was eventually towed back to Japan. The ship was reportedly to be operated by MOL carrying 3,800 Nissan vehicles, but the exact cause of the fire is still unknown. Again, the Panama Maritime Authority has submitted its investigation report to the IMO, but the report has not been made publicly available.

III. Car carrier safety analysis

Up to now, the root cause of many car carrier fires remains unknown, as the evidence including VDR on ships are destroyed in most cases and it is neither discreet nor exhaustive to draw conclusions based solely on the testimony of rescued persons. However, it is clear from the available resources that both new and used vehicles are hazardous and can potentially cause fires, and most of these fires are started by internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEV).

Ever since the sinking of PCTC Felicity Ace, the industry has been questioning the risks posed by EV transportation. Suspects were again directed to combusting lithium-ion car batteries in the recent Fremantle Highway fire, despite the fact that investigation is still under way. Can one then conclude that EV carriage is more of a threat than carriage of ICEVs? According to the findings of Auto Insurance EZ, an US insurance company reviewing website, battery electric vehicles have 0.03% chance of igniting while ICEVs have 1.5%, basically five times that of EVs. An IUMI report also reveals that EV fires are no more dangerous than those in conventional vehicles, and there are currently no documented cases of factory-new electric vehicles causing a fire on board.

The reason why people just assumed the hazards of EVs is probably that EV fires continue to make the headlines and lithium-ion batteries are Class 9 dangerous goods in the IMDG Code. Lithium-ion batteries can catch fire when overcharged or exposed to high temperatures, or if there are manufacturing defects or mechanical damage. They can reach a temperature of over 1,000 degrees when ignited (ICEVs burn at around 500 degrees) and their combustion is longer and more intense than that of fossil fuels, and thermal runaway can occur. Lithium-Ion batteries are also known to unexpectedly re-ignite hours or even days after all visible fire has been put out, because lithium-ion battery fires generate their own oxygen and can be very difficult to extinguish. The amount of water that it takes to put out such a fire on board a car carrier may cause reduced stability and lead to capsizing of the ship.

IV. Advice to Members

PCTC owners are encouraged to take the following aspects into consideration and take precautions against fire hazards for the safe carriage of both EVs and ICEVs.

1. In order to understand the risks involved with carrying EVs, it is worth knowing the technical design of different types of EVs. There are currently three types of EVs: Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs), Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs), and Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicles (FCEVs).
2. Use CCTV cameras to keep a close eye on the cargoes and be familiar with where different types of vehicles are stowed, which can lead to early detection and immediate response in the event of a fire.
3. Fire detection systems should be equipped on board to prevent car fires at different levels, for example to automatically implement fire extinguishing procedures when the system detects the temperature at an area has reached a certain degree.
4. Adequate fire-fighting systems should be equipped on board to deal with car fires at different levels. The crew should put on personal protective equipment and can include thermal imaging cameras or fire blankets for effective firefighting. CO₂ extinguishing systems, foam firefighting systems or drencher systems can be applied when the fire is small.
5. Calls for additional requirements for safe transportation of EVs, such as setting the batteries to be at a state of charge of 30% to minimise the risk of thermal runaway and prohibiting loading of personal items into used cars on ro-ro ships.
6. In order to better instruct crews on taking effective measures against fire hazards, it is recommended that shipowners cooperate with classification societies and flag States administrations to formulate applicable rules, standards and guidelines relating to the safe transportation of electric vehicles.
7. Carry out regular crew training on fire hazards to increase their awareness and to help them properly use the fire extinguishing equipment and systems on board ships.

 V. Going forward

With the world increasingly committed to decarbonization, the market has seen a growing demand for electric vehicles, which has brought some new challenges to traditional car transportation by ships. The concerns and discussions over safe carriage of EVs can also be seen as efforts of shipowners and the industry in adapting to the new technology. We expect early promulgation of new regulations by international organizations and industry associations to address the emerging risks related with EV transportations. It is understood that IMO has set up a special working group for this purpose and we believe that the safety of EV transportation will be improved through technical and legal regulations.

For more information, please contact Managers of the Association.