“K” Line Confirms Nearly 500 Electric Vehicles on Burning Car Carrier in the North Sea

Car Carrier Burning off Dutch Coast Carrying Nearly 500 Electric Vehicles

AMSTERDAM, July 28 (Reuters) – The car carrier burning off the Dutch coast since Tuesday night is carrying nearly 500 electric vehicles, ship charter company “K” Line said on Friday, significantly more than the 25 initially reported by the coastguard.

The fire on the Panamanian-registered Fremantle Highway, which was carrying new cars, resulted in the death of an Indian crew member and injury of seven others who jumped overboard to escape the flames.

There were 3,783 vehicles on board, including 498 battery electric vehicles, a Tokyo-based spokesperson for K Line (Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha), which had chartered the vessel, said. He declined to say anything about the car brands, including whether or not it included any cars from Japanese manufacturers.

Cause of the Fire and Risks of Electric Vehicle Batteries

The coastguard said on its website Thursday the cause of the fire was unknown, but an emergency responder is heard in a recording released by Dutch broadcaster RTL saying “the fire started in the battery of an electric car”.

EV lithium-ion batteries burn with twice the energy of a normal fire and maritime officials and insurers say the industry has not kept up with the risks.

Investigation and Current Status of the Vessel

An investigation has been launched by the Panama Maritime Authority and the Netherlands is assisting the inquiry, the Dutch Safety Board has said.

The 199-metre (653 ft) Fremantle, which is still burning, is drifting about 17 km from the northernmost Dutch coast, the coastguard said. It was on the way from Germany to Egypt.

Location and Environmental Impact

The islands are on the northernmost tip of the Netherlands, and comprise part of the Wadden Sea, a vast area of tidal flats and marshland stretching along Germany and Denmark that is on UNESCO’s World Heritage list.

(Reporting by Miranda Murry and Daniel Leussink; Writing by Marine Strauss and Anthony Deutsch; Editing by Tassilo Hummel and Philippa Fletcher)

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

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

• SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy
• SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
• SDG 13: Climate Action
• SDG 15: Life on Land

The article discusses a car carrier fire off the Dutch coast that involved electric vehicles. This connects to SDG 7 as electric vehicles are a form of clean energy transportation. It also relates to SDG 9 as it involves the infrastructure and safety of transporting electric vehicles. Additionally, the incident has implications for SDG 11, as it raises concerns about the environmental impact of cities and the need for sustainable transportation. The fire’s connection to SDG 13 is evident as it highlights the risks and hazards associated with climate-related incidents involving electric vehicles. Finally, the incident’s location near the Wadden Sea, a UNESCO World Heritage site, connects to SDG 15’s goal of conserving and protecting terrestrial ecosystems.

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

• SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy – Target 7.2: Increase the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix
• SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure – Target 9.4: Upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries to make them sustainable
• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities – Target 11.6: Reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities
• SDG 13: Climate Action – Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards
• SDG 15: Life on Land – Target 15.1: Ensure the conservation, restoration, and sustainable use of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems

Based on the article’s content, the specific targets identified are:

– SDG 7, Target 7.2: Increase the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix, as electric vehicles are a form of clean energy transportation.

– SDG 9, Target 9.4: Upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries to make them sustainable, as there is a need to ensure the safety and sustainability of transporting electric vehicles.

– SDG 11, Target 11.6: Reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, as the incident raises concerns about the environmental impact of cities and the need for sustainable transportation.

– SDG 13, Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards, as the incident highlights the risks and hazards associated with climate-related incidents involving electric vehicles.

– SDG 15, Target 15.1: Ensure the conservation, restoration, and sustainable use of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems, as the incident’s location near the Wadden Sea raises concerns about the impact on terrestrial ecosystems.

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

No specific indicators are mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets.

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Source: gcaptain.com

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