Subscribe to our Mailing Lists (It's free!)
Friday, July 18, 2025
SAFETY4SEA
  • Home
  • Safety
    • All
    • Accidents
    • Alerts
    • Loss Prevention
    • Maritime Health
    • Regulation
    • Safety
    • Seafarers
    • Security
    container

    Allianz: Mis-declared cargo still leads cause of fires

    The end of the supply chain crisis and what we need to learn for the next one(s)

    TT Club: Understanding the risks of abandoned cargo

    ITF abandonment

    ITF: Seafarers’ abandonment surges by 30% in 2025

    UK MAIB Safety Digest 2024, 2nd Edition

    UK MAIB Annual Report 2024: 1,515 reports received

  • SEAFiT
    • All
    • Intellectual
    • Mental
    • Physical
    • Social
    • Spiritual
    tunnel vision

    Tunnel vision: Recognizing the blind spots at sea

    friendship

    Exploring the human need for friendship: A lifeline at sea and on shore

    neck pain

    Neck pain: A growing health concern for maritime workers

    Book Review: Building leaders the MMMA way

    Book Review: Feel grounded and think positive in 10 simple steps

  • Green
    • All
    • Arctic
    • Ballast
    • Emissions
    • Fuels
    • Green Shipping
    • Pollution
    • Ship Recycling
    • Technology
    imo ballast

    BIO-UV Group: Over 30% of vessels are failing D-2 compliance tests

    Intra-North Sea Ballast Water Contingency Area now in effect until 2030

    Intra-North Sea Ballast Water Contingency Area now in effect until 2030

    ICS

    ICS: Industry needs clarity and detail on IMO NZF incentives

    ECSA

    ECSA & A4E: Prioritise affordable clean fuels in shipping & aviation

  • Smart
    • All
    • Connectivity
    • Cyber Security
    • E-navigation
    • Energy Efficiency
    • Maritime Software
    • Smart
    digitalization at sea

    Do you know what the NAVDAT system onboard ships is?

    Hong Kong AIS

    Hong Kong issues notice on the updated rules for AIS

    RightShip: Data-sharing and transparency can ensure a stronger culture of safety

    Danelec: Over 70% of ships still rely on once-daily noon reports

    robots shipyards

    Multi-party effort looks into employing robots in shipyards

  • Risk
    • All
    • CIC
    • Detentions
    • Fines
    • PSC Focus
    • Vetting
    bwms type approval

    PSC Update: Concentrated Inspection Campaign to focus on BWM in 2025

    ClassNK PSC

    ClassNK Annual PSC Report: Fire safety deficiencies top the list

    AMSA fine

    NorthStandard: Tips to avoid pollution fines in Turkey

    OCIMF

    OCIMF Annual Report 2025: SIRE 2.0 a welcome change for the industry

  • Others
    • All
    • Diversity in shipping
    • Maritime Knowledge
    • Offshore
    • Ports
    • Shipping
    • Sustainability
    • Videos
    hotwork

    Watch: Best practices for gas distribution systems onboard

    digitalization at sea

    Do you know what the NAVDAT system onboard ships is?

    USA sanctions

    United States removes Syria-related sanctions

    eu russia sanctions

    EU has yet to reach agreement over sanctions package on Russia

  • Columns
    Career Paths: Syb ten Cate Hoedemaker, Maritime Battery Forum

    Career Paths: Syb ten Cate Hoedemaker, Maritime Battery Forum

    GSR Services: The Hong Kong Convention sets the rules for total ship lifecycle responsibility

    NorthStandard: Data sharing to drive technology and improve crew wellbeing

    GSR Services: The Hong Kong Convention sets the rules for total ship lifecycle responsibility

    GSR Services: The Hong Kong Convention sets the rules for total ship lifecycle responsibility

    Trending Tags

    • Anchor Your Health
    • Book Review
    • Career Paths
    • Human Performance
    • Industry Voices
    • Interviews
    • Maripedia
    • Maritime History
    • Regulatory Update
    • Resilience
    • Seafarers Stories
    • SeaSense
    • Training & Development
    • Wellness Corner
    • Wellness Tips
  • Events
  • Plus
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Safety
    • All
    • Accidents
    • Alerts
    • Loss Prevention
    • Maritime Health
    • Regulation
    • Safety
    • Seafarers
    • Security
    container

    Allianz: Mis-declared cargo still leads cause of fires

    The end of the supply chain crisis and what we need to learn for the next one(s)

    TT Club: Understanding the risks of abandoned cargo

    ITF abandonment

    ITF: Seafarers’ abandonment surges by 30% in 2025

    UK MAIB Safety Digest 2024, 2nd Edition

    UK MAIB Annual Report 2024: 1,515 reports received

  • SEAFiT
    • All
    • Intellectual
    • Mental
    • Physical
    • Social
    • Spiritual
    tunnel vision

    Tunnel vision: Recognizing the blind spots at sea

    friendship

    Exploring the human need for friendship: A lifeline at sea and on shore

    neck pain

    Neck pain: A growing health concern for maritime workers

    Book Review: Building leaders the MMMA way

    Book Review: Feel grounded and think positive in 10 simple steps

  • Green
    • All
    • Arctic
    • Ballast
    • Emissions
    • Fuels
    • Green Shipping
    • Pollution
    • Ship Recycling
    • Technology
    imo ballast

    BIO-UV Group: Over 30% of vessels are failing D-2 compliance tests

    Intra-North Sea Ballast Water Contingency Area now in effect until 2030

    Intra-North Sea Ballast Water Contingency Area now in effect until 2030

    ICS

    ICS: Industry needs clarity and detail on IMO NZF incentives

    ECSA

    ECSA & A4E: Prioritise affordable clean fuels in shipping & aviation

  • Smart
    • All
    • Connectivity
    • Cyber Security
    • E-navigation
    • Energy Efficiency
    • Maritime Software
    • Smart
    digitalization at sea

    Do you know what the NAVDAT system onboard ships is?

    Hong Kong AIS

    Hong Kong issues notice on the updated rules for AIS

    RightShip: Data-sharing and transparency can ensure a stronger culture of safety

    Danelec: Over 70% of ships still rely on once-daily noon reports

    robots shipyards

    Multi-party effort looks into employing robots in shipyards

  • Risk
    • All
    • CIC
    • Detentions
    • Fines
    • PSC Focus
    • Vetting
    bwms type approval

    PSC Update: Concentrated Inspection Campaign to focus on BWM in 2025

    ClassNK PSC

    ClassNK Annual PSC Report: Fire safety deficiencies top the list

    AMSA fine

    NorthStandard: Tips to avoid pollution fines in Turkey

    OCIMF

    OCIMF Annual Report 2025: SIRE 2.0 a welcome change for the industry

  • Others
    • All
    • Diversity in shipping
    • Maritime Knowledge
    • Offshore
    • Ports
    • Shipping
    • Sustainability
    • Videos
    hotwork

    Watch: Best practices for gas distribution systems onboard

    digitalization at sea

    Do you know what the NAVDAT system onboard ships is?

    USA sanctions

    United States removes Syria-related sanctions

    eu russia sanctions

    EU has yet to reach agreement over sanctions package on Russia

  • Columns
    Career Paths: Syb ten Cate Hoedemaker, Maritime Battery Forum

    Career Paths: Syb ten Cate Hoedemaker, Maritime Battery Forum

    GSR Services: The Hong Kong Convention sets the rules for total ship lifecycle responsibility

    NorthStandard: Data sharing to drive technology and improve crew wellbeing

    GSR Services: The Hong Kong Convention sets the rules for total ship lifecycle responsibility

    GSR Services: The Hong Kong Convention sets the rules for total ship lifecycle responsibility

    Trending Tags

    • Anchor Your Health
    • Book Review
    • Career Paths
    • Human Performance
    • Industry Voices
    • Interviews
    • Maripedia
    • Maritime History
    • Regulatory Update
    • Resilience
    • Seafarers Stories
    • SeaSense
    • Training & Development
    • Wellness Corner
    • Wellness Tips
  • Events
  • Plus
No Result
View All Result
SAFETY4SEA

NTSB Investigation: Fire on crude tanker S-Trust caused by lithium-Ion battery thermal runaway

by The Editorial Team
November 10, 2023
in Accidents
NTSB Investigation report

Credit: NTSB

FacebookTwitterEmailLinkedin

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released an investigation report into the blaze on the bridge of the crude tanker S-Trust 12 months ago, to provide lessons learned.

The incident

On November 13, 2022, about 1530 local time, a fire started on the bridge of the oil tanker S-Trust while the vessel was docked at the Genesis Port Allen Terminal in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Fire teams from the vessel’s crew extinguished the fire about 1550. There were no injuries, and no pollution was reported. The damage to the vessel was estimated at $3 million.

RelatedNews

Allianz: Mis-declared cargo still leads cause of fires

UK MAIB Annual Report 2024: 1,515 reports received

The S-Trust was a Liberian-flagged, 800-foot-long, steel-hulled liquid bulk cargo vessel (oil tanker) owned by New Trend Ltd and operated by Stalwart Management Ltd. The vessel was built in 2005 and had a cargo capacity of 741,732 barrels. The vessel’s superstructure contained living quarters, the galley, a
ship’s office, the cargo control room, and the bridge; it consisted of five decks: the main deck, A deck, B deck, C deck, and the bridge deck.

Investigators found the remains of three batteries (one nickel-metal hydride and two lithium-ion) on the communications table. The single nickel-metal hydride battery (all of its six cells) was intact; one of the lithium-ion batteries (both cells) was found intact in the remains of the chargers (one nickel-metal hydride charger and one lithium-ion charger). Investigators only found components of the second lithium-ion battery (a two-cell battery). Lithium-ion battery cell explosions are typically caused by a thermal runaway; as such, the initial orange flash and puff of smoke on the video feed was likely the result of one of the missing lithium-ion cells exploding due to a thermal runaway. The heat produced from a thermal runaway of a lithium-ion battery cell can exceed 1,100° F, which can easily cause any nearby combustible material to ignite, including adjoining cells of the same battery. As the fire expanded, the closed-circuit video captured a second flash, followed by a flaming object being propelled from the fire and landing on the deck of the bridge, where it continued to burn. This was most likely the other missing lithium-ion cell from the same battery. Based on the video, investigators determined that the second missing lithium-ion cell also experienced a thermal runaway, most likely initiated from the heat of the fire started by the initial battery cell thermal runaway.

A thermal runaway occurs when a cell overheats and combusts; it is a chemical reaction that can occur to any type of battery cell if it is damaged, shorted, overheated, defective, or overcharged. It is possible, based on the battery remains’ location among the charger remains, that one of the batteries had been left in the charger, which could have led to overcharging. However, a crewmember told investigators that the batteries were not in the chargers before the fire. Further, investigators were not able to find the missing cells, and, due to the explosion, the extensive heat from the thermal runaway reaction, and subsequent fire on the bridge, the battery cells may have been completely consumed. Therefore, investigators could not examine the first cell that exploded to determine the exact cause of the initial thermal runaway.

Once the vessel was docked at the terminal and cargo operations began, the bridge watch ended, so no one was stationed on the bridge at the time the fire started. The first indication crewmembers had of a possible fire aboard was the loss of the closed-circuit camera feed to the monitor in the master’s office. Had the fire occurred while the vessel was underway, there would have been personnel on the bridge, and the fire would have been immediately detected. Additionally, the vessel’s bridge did not have a smoke or fire detection system (nor was it required to), which also allowed the fire to grow undetected.

Probable Cause

The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of the fire on the bridge of the S-Trust was the thermal runaway of one of the cells in a lithium-ion battery for a UHF handheld radio.

Lessons Learned

Lithium-Ion Battery Fires

A lithium-ion battery cell, if damaged, shorted, overheated, defective, or overcharged, can spontaneously experience a thermal runaway, a chemical reaction that can cause the cell to ignite and explode. A cell that has exploded can be propelled from its initial position within a battery. Due to the potential for rapid expansion of a lithium-ion battery fire, detection, containment, and extinguishment are essential to prevent damage to a vessel.

Crews can help prevent thermal runaways and ensuing fires by doing the following:

  • follow manufacturers’ instructions for the care and maintenance of lithium-ion batteries,
  • properly dispose of damaged batteries,
  • avoid unsupervised charging, and
  • keep batteries and chargers away from heat sources and flammable materials.

Additionally, companies should ensure that lithium-ion batteries and devices that use lithium-ion batteries are certified by Underwriters Laboratory or another recognized organization. Should a lithium-ion battery fire occur, crews can attempt to extinguish the fire with water, foam, CO2, or other dry chemical or powdered agents. However, if the battery fire cannot be extinguished, personnel should attempt to allow the pack to burn in a controlled manner; this includes watching for nearby cells that may also experience thermal runaway and extinguishing other combustibles that may catch on fire.

DOWNLOAD THE REPORT HERE

NTSB Investigation: Fire on crude tanker S-Trust caused by lithium-Ion battery thermal runawayNTSB Investigation: Fire on crude tanker S-Trust caused by lithium-Ion battery thermal runaway
NTSB Investigation: Fire on crude tanker S-Trust caused by lithium-Ion battery thermal runawayNTSB Investigation: Fire on crude tanker S-Trust caused by lithium-Ion battery thermal runaway
Tags: accident reportsbatteriesfire onboardfire safety measuresincident investigationlessons learnedNTSB
Previous Post

Multi-party effort launches SOHAR Net Zero Alliance

Next Post

The winners of 2023 CAREER4SEA – EUROPORT Awards announced

SUGGESTED FOR YOU

lessons learned
Safety

Lessons learned: Pilots are part of the extended team

July 17, 2025
Lessons learned
Safety

Lessons learned: Speak up even when it is difficult

July 17, 2025
port of antwerp
Accidents

Fire breaks out aboard brand new vessel in the Port of Antwerp

July 17, 2025
lessons learned
Accidents

Lessons learned: Strictly adhere to the requirements of bunkering

July 16, 2025
Wan Hai 503
Accidents

Wan Hai 503 port of refuge is still unsecured

July 16, 2025
lessons learned
Accidents

Lessons learned: Don’t guess with chemicals

July 15, 2025

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Explore more

No Result
View All Result
MARITIME EVENTS

Explore

  • Safety
  • SEAFiT
  • Green
  • Smart
  • Risk
  • Others
  • SAFETY4SEA Events
  • SAFETY4SEA Plus Subscription

Useful Links

  • About
  • Disclaimer
  • Editorial Policies
  • Advertising
  • Content Marketing
  • Contact

© 2025 SAFETY4SEA

No Result
View All Result
  • Safety
    • Accidents
    • Alerts
    • Loss Prevention
    • Maritime Health
    • Regulation
    • Safety
    • Seafarers
    • Security
  • SEAFiT
    • Intellectual
    • Mental
    • Physical
    • Social
    • Spiritual
  • Green
    • Arctic
    • Ballast
    • Emissions
    • Fuels
    • Green Shipping
    • Pollution
    • Ship Recycling
    • Technology
  • Smart
    • Connectivity
    • Cyber Security
    • E-navigation
    • Energy Efficiency
    • Maritime Software
    • Smart
  • Risk
    • CIC
    • Detentions
    • Fines
    • PSC Case Studies
    • PSC Focus
    • Vetting
  • Others
    • Diversity in shipping
    • Maritime Knowledge
    • Offshore
    • Ports
    • Shipping
    • Sustainability
    • Videos
  • Columns
    • Anchor Your Health
    • Book Review
    • Career Paths
    • Human Performance
    • Industry Voices
    • Interviews
    • Maripedia
    • Maritime History
    • Opinions
    • Regulatory Update
    • Resilience
    • Seafarers Stories
    • SeaSense
    • Tip of the day
    • Training & Development
    • Wellness Corner
    • Wellness Tips
  • SAFETY4SEA Events
  • SAFETY4SEA Plus Subscription

© 2025 SAFETY4SEA

Manage your privacy
We use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. We do this to improve browsing experience and to show (non-) personalized ads. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
Manage options Manage services Manage {vendor_count} vendors Read more about these purposes
Manage options
{title} {title} {title}
No Result
View All Result
  • Safety
    • Accidents
    • Alerts
    • Loss Prevention
    • Maritime Health
    • Regulation
    • Safety
    • Seafarers
    • Security
  • SEAFiT
    • Intellectual
    • Mental
    • Physical
    • Social
    • Spiritual
  • Green
    • Arctic
    • Ballast
    • Emissions
    • Fuels
    • Green Shipping
    • Pollution
    • Ship Recycling
    • Technology
  • Smart
    • Connectivity
    • Cyber Security
    • E-navigation
    • Energy Efficiency
    • Maritime Software
    • Smart
  • Risk
    • CIC
    • Detentions
    • Fines
    • PSC Case Studies
    • PSC Focus
    • Vetting
  • Others
    • Diversity in shipping
    • Maritime Knowledge
    • Offshore
    • Ports
    • Shipping
    • Sustainability
    • Videos
  • Columns
    • Anchor Your Health
    • Book Review
    • Career Paths
    • Human Performance
    • Industry Voices
    • Interviews
    • Maripedia
    • Maritime History
    • Opinions
    • Regulatory Update
    • Resilience
    • Seafarers Stories
    • SeaSense
    • Tip of the day
    • Training & Development
    • Wellness Corner
    • Wellness Tips
  • SAFETY4SEA Events
  • SAFETY4SEA Plus Subscription

© 2025 SAFETY4SEA