In July 2023, the car carrier FREEMANTLE HIGHWAY, sailing under the Panamanian flag, suffered a catastrophic and widely publicised fire in the North Sea off the Dutch coast.
The Panamanian Marine Authority carried out a thorough investigation and has now reported on its conclusions, confirming the Captain’s initial instincts and the rumours that have swirled around the car transport industry ever since the casualty.
The fire apparently started in parked electric BMWs loaded on Deck 8 in Hold 4. Fires in electric cars are often far more intense and take considerably longer to extinguish than those in conventional vehicles.
Whilst only one life was lost during the casualty, there were around 30 crew members seriously injured or traumatised, many of whom had to jump approximately 30 metres into the sea to escape the fire.
By highlighting the defects and deficiencies the vessel suffered from, the Panamanian Marine Authority has compiled a list of focal points to which owners and managers of car-carrying vessels should now pay immediate attention.
It is worth mentioning here that of the car carriers currently plying the seas, almost all are unsuited to the transport of electric vehicles — and the FREEMANTLE HIGHWAY was no exception.
The Report concludes that the crew was unaware of the precise location on board where the electric vehicles were stowed. Moreover, electric cars were stowed alongside conventional vehicles. The crew was not trained to extinguish fires involving electric vehicles, and the foam extinguishers carried on board were not suitable for lithium-ion battery fires.
The Report contains a number of recommendations, including that electric vehicles should be stowed in a separate, isolated compartment, with the crew fully aware of their location. It further recommends that updated fire extinguishing systems be installed and that crews receive training in their proper use.
Furthermore, current loading ramps on board vessels were found to be unsuitable for electric vehicles, being too low. The Report concludes that this may result in battery damage during loading, thereby increasing the risk of spontaneous combustion and major fire.
The Panamanian Marine Authority has recommended that the International Maritime Organization (IMO) implement stricter rules governing the carriage of motor vehicles, particularly electric vehicles.
Reina Maria van Pallandt
Reina Maria van Pallandt is a senior disputes resolution lawyer with dual British and Dutch nationality. After obtaining an LLB Honors degree in Dutch Law and Public International Law at the University of Amsterdam (UvA), Reina Maria studied International Law of the Sea at London School of Economics (LSE).