Webinar: Do we need to do more to ensure the safe carriage of vehicles onboard ships?

The global passenger ferry industry has averaged more than 1,000 fatalities per year since the 1960s, with the great majority occurring on domestic voyages in Asia and Africa.

Both industry and regulators have undoubtedly made significant strides on safety during this period, however fast forward to 2020 – 2022 and there remain evolving challenges to vessel safety. For example, despite vehicles being covered by the provisions of the IMDG Code we have seen several high-profile examples of catastrophic fires on board car-carriers and ferries, at least one resulting in total loss. Although the cause of the fires has not yet been determined insurers continue to warn that the transportation of vehicles fitted with lithium-ion batteries are an emerging risk for both Ro/Ro Passenger vessel and pure car and truck carriers (PCTC’s).

The European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) recently published guidance for the safe carriage of alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs) in Ro-Ro spaces of passenger and cargo ships to tackle this emerging challenge.

This report examines how AFVs are a serious safety concern which, when coupled with the enormous growth of the AFV fleet indicates how industry is being presented with new safety challenges. With uncertainty over the potential fire risks and unfamiliarity with any associated fire characteristics it is not clear if the maritime sector has the solutions to provide safe transportation of vehicles.

In this webinar we will hear from a maritime operator, an insurer and a specialist in lithium-ion batteries on the current situation and the risks involved. We will also discuss approaches to possible solutions and hear from a technologist on the potential for new technology adoption.