IMRF leads industry-wide forum on tackling battery fires in search and rescue

The growing risk of vessel fires due to the use of lithium-ion batteries (LiB) in electric vehicles (EVs) and as secondary (hybrid) or primary propulsion on ships and boats, has introduced complex challenges for fire safety and emergency response in maritime environments. 

Recent incidents, including Morning Midas, Felicity Ace, Fremantle Highway and MS Pearl of Scandinavia, have heightened the need for the wider industry to address the challenges of battery fire incidents onboard commercial vessels. This includes understanding their unique characteristics, knowing how to respond and suppress them, and how to respond from a search-and-rescue (SAR) perspective. 

As part of its continuous collaboration with the wider industry to examine the risks, response challenges and regulatory gaps associated with lithium-ion battery fires, the IMRF chaired a major workshop at Trinity House in London on 4 June, alongside leading maritime SAR authorities, naval architects, fire engineers, regulators, academics and other industry representatives. 

The workshop was the latest effort of the IMRF’s partnership with the University of Queensland (UQ) research project, funded by Lloyd’s Register Foundation, to share findings, discuss operational challenges and explore potential solutions for a critical and underexplored issue that will continue to grow in prominence as EVs become more mainstream.  

Roly McKie, the IMRF’s IMO Representative and SAR Advisor, chaired the workshop, alongside David Lange, Associate Professor of Fire Safety Engineering at UQ and project lead. Joining the IMRF at the event were engineering and academic experts from UQ and University College London, technical specialists from MacDuff Ship Design and Brookes Bell, alongside representatives from leading maritime and SAR organisations including RNLI, Irish Coast Guard, Swedish Sea Rescue Society, JRCC Bodø in Norway and HM Coastguard and Alantic Pacific.  

The IMRF was also pleased to welcome representatives from the UK’s SOSREP and Maritime and Coastguard Agency to ensure the workshop had regulatory inputs. 

The forum focused on a wide range of topics, including the unique physics and behaviour of battery fires; examination and discussion of findings from real incidents at sea, and potential scenarios for car carriers, ferries, and smaller craft and workboats; current regulatory and certification gaps; and long-standing issues related to vessel design and onboard safety systems. 

From a SAR perspective, participants highlighted that one of the biggest risks is how fast battery fires can escalate, particularly for car carriers and ferries that may well have hundreds of vehicles and large passenger numbers on board. In these scenarios, battery fires can escalate sooner than SAR coordinators and units can react, which in turn causes major issues for SAR responders looking to tackle the blaze or rescue crew and passengers.  

Smoke plumes from these incidents include toxic and explosive gases, which are hazardous to SAR and other responders. This can impact the arrival of SAR vessels and aircraft, which may have limited visual access to an incident. To limit the risk of harm to SAR units, rescue operations need to take account of this risk and consider how they manoeuvre  in order to reduce exposure to smoke plumes and chemical hazards. Moreover, the session concurred that the lack of specific SAR operation plans for battery fires response is currently hindering the safe approach of first responders and impacts immediate decision-making for SAR unit crews.  

Critically, the workshop highlighted the need for new and up-to-date SAR operations and best practices for battery fires, as well as the possible need to consider  tailored PPE and training for SAR crew members. 

“Vessel fires as a result of lithium-ion, and similar, batteries are a new but increasingly prevalent issue for the wider maritime industry. Understanding the regulatory gaps and finding ways of bringing industry together to close those shortfalls is critical to prevent loss of life, enable effective SAR response and limit the damage to vessels and cargo,” said Roly. 

“Ensuring that SAR personnel have the right training, information, procedures, equipment and preparedness for all types of scenarios is critical to give them the best chance to respond successfully and keep themselves and their fellow crew members safe.  

“The IMRF is leading the way on these important discussions, bringing together like-minded people, specialists and organisations to help shape the future of SAR operations. Sessions like our recent London forum will go a long way to help SAR crews prepare and tackle potential battery fires onboard commercial vessels wherever they may occur,” he added. 

The IMRF continues to collaborate and advise UQ in their research on battery fires and will conduct further workshops to discuss and provide real-world input and to benchmark and provide commentary on findings. IMRF members are encouraged to join these workshops to ensure a wide range of voices and experiences are heard as part of this research. If you or your organisation wishes to participate, please email [email protected].