Global Shipping Business Network (GSBN) has collaborated with Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) to further enhance safety in transporting lithium battery shipments.
As explained, the increasing presence of lithium-ion batteries carried on container ships amid rising misdeclarations has become a major concern for the shipping industry given the risk of fire. In its collaboration, MSC integrated its lithium battery shipment booking process with GSBN, which has extensive access to China’s top testing laboratories and certification providers, including SICIT and Pony Testing.
This means following testing, immutable safe transportation certificates can be shared directly by the laboratories over GSBN’s blockchain network and are accessed during booking by MSC.
Hazards and causes
There are four main hazards associated with Li-ion batteries:
- Fire (Li-ion batteries contain electrolyte, an ignitable liquid);
- Explosion (resulting from the release of ignitable vapor/gases in a confined space);
- Thermal runaway (a rapid self-heating fire that can cause an explosion);
- Toxic gases that these hazards can produce.
According to Allianz, the most common causes of these hazards are:
- Substandard manufacturing of battery cells/devices;
- over-charging of the battery cells;
- over-temperature by short circuiting
- damaged battery cells or devices
The unprecedented demand for lithium shipments has introduced new challenges for the industry and those who work in it. Our aim is through these collaborations is to harness technology to support the global effort to sustainability and mark a new era in shipping safety.
… said Bertrand Chen, CEO at GSBN
In an exclusive interview with SAFETY4SEA, Bertrand Chen had explained that to survive and thrive in this new world, the industry needs to share data, process it and act upon it quickly. Given the complexity and interconnectedness of the shipping industry, there will not be a single solution that can fit the bill, but rather a portfolio of solutions built atop of a common data infrastructure, he said.
This aims to improve the overall customer experience while replacing an often paper-based process in which such certificates are hard to verify and carried risks such as loss, mislabelling as well as fraud. The intention is to extend the collaboration to a wider group of certificates as well as expanding the network of laboratories to increase the coverage for carriers.
Our collaboration with GSBN offers the best of both worlds. We can offer customers a more streamlined experience from the point of booking, while ensuring that cargo requiring special handling can be safely transported.
… commented Dirk Van de Velde, Chief Health, Safety, Security and Environment Officer at MSC
