Fire-fighting and battery-powered electric vehicles: What to consider

The issue of lithium-ion battery fires gained widespread recognition within 2023, prompting the industry to take action in order to address and mitigate this phenomenon. In light of an incident that took place during summer, there has been focus on the risks that Li-Ion batteries pose to ships onboard, considering that decarbonization and electrification are increasing the number of shipping goods that contain Li-Ion batteries, from  electric vehicles (EVs) to a wide range of consumer and electronic goods.

As such, AMSA advised the following with regards to fire-fighting and BEVs:

• In the instance of a fire involving a BEV the only way to cool the battery is to use large amounts of water. Typically to fight a conventionally fuelled vehicle fire would require 4000 litres of water. It is estimated that a BEV fire would take a minimum of 10000 litres. The Danish firefighting authorities (DEMA) recommended using water at the rate of 400 litres per minute and limiting the exposure of persons fighting the fire to ten minutes³. 
• PCTC’s typically do not have water deluge systems and rely on carbon-dioxide (CO2) systems to extinguish fires on their vehicle decks. It should be noted the significantly increased risk of re-ignition with BEV fires and that CO2 systems do not remove the heat generated from a fire nor extract the highly flammable gasses emitted from a BEV fire. 
• CO2 extinguishing systems if applied quickly after the detection and verification/confirmation of a fire have worked successfully to fight fires on board PCTCs. Research projects are ongoing to assess and evaluate the effectiveness of the CO2 extinguishing systems. The International Union of Marine Insurance (IUMI) recommends doubling the capacity of CO2 systems on PCTC’s. Operators should consult with their recognised organisations regarding the amount of CO2 allocated for use in vehicle spaces used to carry BEVs.  
• Early detection, confirmation/verification and a short response time are crucial to fight a fire successfully on PCTC. The fixed firefighting systems should be applied first rather than manual firefighting by the crew. 
• With RORO PAX ferries the early use of the water deluge system is likely to control the spread of the fire and allow a controlled response. Crew should be familiar with its correct use and the need for the water to be effectively drained from the vehicle decks so as not to adversely affect the stability of the vessel. The highly flammable vapour emitted from the BEV fire should also be ventilated from any enclosed spaces to minimise the risk of explosion. RORO PAX vessel master’s should closely monitor the flow of vapour from the BEV fire and manoeuvre the vessel to ensure the vapour is moved away from passenger areas and emergency stations such as lifeboat launching and embarkation areas. 
• Other methods to restrict the flame and heat spread such as specialist vehicle fire blankets or other specialist textile boundaries may be used until sufficient water quantity is available. However, in using these blankets / specialist boundaries careful consideration must first be given to the specific risks that may be encountered. These include restricted access around vehicles on a ro-ro deck and the rapid escalation of the BEV fire including gases and smoke that may reduce visibility and produce extreme heat for personnel approaching the fire. These fire blankets may be best suited as a precautionary measure deployed where a vehicle has been identified as being at increased fire risk e.g., if battery coolant is found leaking during routine fire patrol. While vehicle fire blankets will contain flame, the thermal-runaway event will continue. 
• The fumes produced by BEV fires are toxic and emergency teams responding to fires should be equipped with fire-fighting suits that comply with SOLAS II-2 regulation 10.10. Decontamination procedures should also be incorporated in fire-fighting plans as BEV fires may create hydrogen fluoride. This is a hazardous substance that may penetrate protective clothing. It is highly corrosive and toxic and will cause chemical burns if it permeates through clothing and comes in to contact with skin. A ship’s procedures for dealing with clothing and equipment exposed to BEV fires should address this risk. 
• BEV crews should have additional equipment to ensure their safety when fighting BEV fires, including:  
  • Defibrillator 
  • Gloves rated for high voltage use 
  • Gas detector to analyse the atmosphere for explosive gases. 

• Until the chemical chain reaction exhausts itself, there is significant risk of re-ignition.  A fully-equipped fire-fighting team should be monitoring the fire site and able to respond immediately until the vehicle is removed from the ship. 

• Vessel operators should consider providing crew with additional safety equipment (such as full-face respirators) to protect them from the toxic vapour produced by BEV fires when conducting emergency duties such as preparing lifeboats for launching. spirators) to protect them from the toxic vapour produced by BEV fires when conducting emergency duties such as preparing lifeboats for launching.