Watch the video above for a full recap of the session.
Ports Australia’s Port Operations Committee convened in Brisbane to address several important topics, including the safety of lithium battery fires. Committee members from across Australia heard from representatives of the Queensland Fire Department and the WA Department of Fire and Emergency Services about what makes these fires so dangerous, especially in enclosed spaces, and nearly impossible to extinguish.
Often labelled as a "low frequency, high consequence" risk, lithium-ion battery fires pose a pressing risk for the maritime industry, especially as the importation of electric vehicles, including e-bikes and e-scooters, continues to rise.
This session brought together first responders and the ports industry to look at possible response protocols, safety considerations and some of the specific challenges around these types of fires.
What makes lithium-ion battery fires unique?
Lithium-ion batteries are the most common type of battery found in electric vehicles, e-bikes and e-scooters. Depending on the manufacturer, these lithium-ion batteries can come in different types and use different chemistries, but all share highly dangerous outcomes if they fail.
When in thermal runaway, these battery fires are almost impossible to stop and reignition is possible. Lithium battery fires burn at higher-than-normal temperatures and produce highly toxic gases, making it difficult for safe response in enclosed spaces, such as on board a vessel.
“The batteries can generate an awful lot of gases in a very, very short period of time,” said Captain Adrian Scales, Director for Europe at Brooks Bell.
“If there's no flame, then those gases don't burn off, and if they're able to collect in a headspace or in a confined space, the trigger point can be anything—static charge or whatever—that can ignite the hydrogen gas, which is part of that. The last ship I attended, which was the Fremantle Highway, we had what was a vapour cloud explosion in the headspace of that, that ruptured the fire main for the ship, and the ship’s crew couldn't actually fight fires from there after.”
Ports Australia hopes to see continued collaboration on this topic, both nationally and internationally.
Media enquiries: Zara Bryan | zbryan@portsaustralia.com.au
