Another EV Fire on a RO/RO?

[Lake-Effect]

Originally Posted by MikeHoncho

The whole American fire service would like your input on managing and fighting Lipo fires……

As I said, my friend's professional interest here is the design and upgrade of facilities for EVs, to better withstand and contain battery fires.

According to my better-informed friend, the US fire authorities are indeed grappling with the new complexities of these battery fires. (He's attended some meetings where US firefighters and other experts spoke of the new issues) I've also heard from someone else who's training to be a volunteer firefighter, and they are already incorporating new techniques for rescues & fires involving EVs. Especially since there can be like 600+ v floating in there... so they can't just start cutting into cars without new precautions.

There's also a big issue with some much smaller battery packs on e-bikes and scooters, and even smaller devices. We all recall the tragic story of the dive boat off Catalina.

It's often the case that regulations and best practices lag the rollout of new technology.

[edit - some progress in how to fight an EV fire]

[IslandHopper]

Another 'Shoei Kisen Kaisha' owned vessel, and another highly publicized vessel incident for them......

[GordMay]

Salvage crews were preparing, Saturday [today], to tow the car-carrying cargo ship, “Freemantle Highway”, to an anchor point, in the North Sea, after flames and smoke on board subsided, the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management said.

Measurements Friday showed that heat, flames and smoke had subsided enough for salvage experts to board the ship for the first time and establish a strong towing connection with a tugboat.

It will be towed, likely over the weekend, to a new position 16 kilometers (10 miles) north of the island of Schiermonnikoog.

The timing of the operation, that is expected to take 12-14 hours, depends on smoke development, and weather, the ministry added. The aim is ultimately “once conditions on board allow,” to tow the ship to a port, though the destination has not yet been decided.
The ministry said the ship is stable and intact below the waterline.

The burning vessel is close to the shallow Wadden Sea, a World Heritage-listed area that is considered one of the world’s most significant habitats for migratory birds. It’s also near the Netherlands’ border with Germany, whose environment minister, Steffi Lemke, has warned of "an environmental catastrophe of unknown proportions,” if the ship were to sink.

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by Lake-Effect

...
He also mentioned that both RO-RO fires involved electric vehicles from the same manufacturer, but I haven't been able to corroborate that.

According to The Associated Press, the ‘Fremantle Highway’ was carrying nearly 3,000 Mercedes,& BMW Cars.
As reported by MSN ➥ https://www.msn.com/en-ca/video/mone...=BingHp01&t=38

[Baronkrak]

Steel hull?

[skipperpete]

Amazingly the numbers have changed, initially reported as 25 battery powered vehicles now the figure is almost 500. Reuter’s might not be the best source for accurate information. Sal Mercogliano a former US mariner and firefighter reported in his ”what’s going on with shipping” YouTube channel that it takes one fire truck tank of water (1000 gal) to extinguish a normal car fire but as much as 40,000 gal to quell an EV fire.

[GordMay]

According to the “Marintime Executive”:

The Coast Guard using the available manifests said at the beginning of the incident it believed there were 2,857 cars of which only 25 were electric vehicles.

Both Reuters and Associated Press are quoting a spokesperson for K Line, Pat Adamson, saying the accurate number is 3,783 vehicles. They are saying the number includes 498 battery-electric vehicles.

Previously, both Mercedes and BMW confirmed that they had vehicles aboard the vessel. It is unknown what quantity of vehicles or if they were gasoline or electric. The ship was reportedly carrying both new vehicles and secondhand cars. The AIS signal shows that it was bound for Port Suez while K Line said the destination was to have been Singapore. ’:

Here ➥ https://maritime-executive.com/artic...ay-car-carrier

[GordMay]

The “Fremantle Highway” was towed, Monday, to a new location further from the Dutch coast, to wait for salvage crews to decide their next steps.
The ship arrived earlier than expected, at an anchorage, 16 kilometers (10 miles) north of the Dutch islands of Schiermonnikoog, and Ameland, thanks to favorable currents,

[GordMay]

The “Fremantle Highway” is to be towed to the northern port of Eemshaven, the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management said.

The ministry said that Eemshaven, 215 kilometers (134 miles) northeast of Amsterdam, was chosen, because it is close to the Fremantle Highway's location, in the North Sea, and because of deteriorating weather conditions, the existing infrastructure, and the facilities that the port offers, for the next steps, in the salvage of the ship.

The ministry said that most of the ship has now been inspected by salvage experts, and “there are no indications that the fire is still burning.”

[MikeHoncho]

We all recall the tragic story of the dive boat off Catalina.

It's often the case that regulations and best practices lag the rollout of new technology.

some progress in how to fight an EV fire

That is always the case.