Focus: Ocean shippers playing catch up to electric vehicle fire risk

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• Allianz SE

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Electric Vehicles Pose Fire Risk for Maritime Shippers

1. LOS ANGELES/AMSTERDAM, July 27 (Reuters) – Electric vehicles are crisscrossing the globe to reach their eager buyers, but the battery technology involved in the zero-emission automobiles is exposing under-prepared maritime shippers to the risk of hard-to-control fires, industry, insurance, and emergency response officials said.
2. That risk has been put under the spotlight by the burning car carrier drifting off the Dutch coast. The Dutch coastguard said the fire’s cause was unknown, but Dutch broadcaster RTL released a recording in which an emergency responder is heard saying “the fire started in the battery of an electric car.”
3. While all logistics companies deal with the risk of EV lithium-ion batteries burning with twice the energy of a normal fire, the maritime industry hasn’t kept up with the developing technology and how it creates greater risk, maritime officials and insurers said.
4. There were 209 ship fires reported during 2022, the highest number in a decade and 17% more than in 2021, according to a report from insurer Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty (AGCS) (ALVG.DE). Of that total, 13 occurred on car carriers, but how many involved EVs was not available.
5. The European Maritime Safety Agency said in a March report the main cargo types identified as responsible for “a large share of cargo fire accidents included … lithium-ion batteries.”
6. There were 3,783 new cars on board, including 498 electric battery vehicles, a spokesperson of ship chartering company “K” Line said on Friday. Initial reports had put the number of electric vehicles at just 25.
7. Japan’s Shoei Kisen, which owns the ship, said it was working with authorities to get control of the fire.
8. The cause of the fire, while still officially undetermined, has raised questions about “what blind spots there are when transporting electric cars powered by batteries – which when they catch fire can’t be extinguished with water, or even by oxygen deprivation,” said Nathan Habers, spokesperson for the Royal Association of Netherlands Shipowners (KVNR).
9. “The first question that comes to mind is: Does the current code stack up against the risk profile of this type of goods?” he added.
10. One hazard in lithium-ion batteries is “thermal runaway,” a rapid and unstoppable increase in temperature that leads to fires in EVs that are hard to extinguish and can spontaneously reignite.
11. Fire extinguishing systems on the massive ships that haul cars weren’t designed for those hotter fires, and shipping companies and regulators are scrambling to catch up, said Douglas Dillon, executive director of the Tri-state Maritime Safety Association that covers Delaware, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey.
12. Recent fire-related losses are resulting in increased insurance costs for automakers shipping cargo, and

    SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

    1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

    • SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
    • SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
    • SDG 13: Climate Action
    • SDG 14: Life Below Water

    2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

    • Target 9.4: By 2030, upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries to make them sustainable, with increased resource-use efficiency and greater adoption of clean and environmentally sound technologies and industrial processes.
    • Target 11.2: By 2030, provide access to safe, affordable, accessible, and sustainable transport systems for all, improving road safety, notably by expanding public transport, with special attention to the needs of those in vulnerable situations, women, children, persons with disabilities, and older persons.
    • Target 13.2: Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies, and planning.
    • Target 14.2: By 2020, sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems to avoid significant adverse impacts, including by strengthening their resilience and taking action for their restoration to achieve healthy and productive oceans.

    3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

    • Indicator 9.4.1: CO2 emissions per unit of value added.
    • Indicator 11.2.1: Proportion of population that has convenient access to public transport, by sex, age, and persons with disabilities.
    • Indicator 13.2.1: Number of countries that have communicated the establishment or operationalization of an integrated policy/strategy/plan which increases their ability to adapt to the adverse impacts of climate change, and foster climate resilience and low greenhouse gas emissions development in a manner that does not threaten food production.
    • Indicator 14.2.1: Proportion of national exclusive economic zones managed using ecosystem-based approaches.

    Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

    SDGs	Targets	Indicators
    SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure	Target 9.4: By 2030, upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries to make them sustainable, with increased resource-use efficiency and greater adoption of clean and environmentally sound technologies and industrial processes.	Indicator 9.4.1: CO2 emissions per unit of value added.
    SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities	Target 11.2: By 2030, provide access to safe, affordable, accessible, and sustainable transport systems for all, improving road safety, notably by expanding public transport, with special attention to the needs of those in vulnerable situations, women, children, persons with disabilities, and older persons.	Indicator 11.2.1: Proportion of population that has convenient access to public transport, by sex, age, and persons with disabilities.
    SDG 13: Climate Action	Target 13.2: Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies, and planning.	Indicator 13.2.1: Number of countries that have communicated the establishment or operationalization of an integrated policy/strategy/plan which increases their ability to adapt to the adverse impacts of climate change, and foster climate resilience and low greenhouse gas emissions development in a manner that does not threaten food production.
    SDG 14: Life Below Water	Target 14.2: By 2020, sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems to avoid significant adverse impacts, including by strengthening their resilience and taking action for their restoration to achieve healthy and productive oceans.	Indicator 14.2.1: Proportion of national exclusive economic zones managed using ecosystem-based approaches.

    Behold! This splendid article springs forth from the wellspring of knowledge, shaped by a wondrous proprietary AI technology that delved into a vast ocean of data, illuminating the path towards the Sustainable Development Goals. Remember that all rights are reserved by SDG Investors LLC, empowering us to champion progress together.

    Source: reuters.com

     

    

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