Small Batteries, Hidden Hazards: Matson Rolls Out Lithium Battery Safety Guidelines

By Kevin Krick, Senior Director, SQES

Marine safety and firefighting have come a long way, but the recent Felicity Ace fire demonstrated that lithium batteries could be dangerous when involved in an inferno. In February, the car carrier, Felicity Ace, operated by Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL), caught fire in the mid-Atlantic and eventually sank. Speculation on what caused the fire has fallen on lithium batteries used in the =electric cars that made up a portion of the nearly 4,000 vehicles on board.

Rechargeable lithium batteries are ubiquitous and provide the power that fuels our communications needs, entertainment choices, and the tools necessary to get the job done. They do all this through their “high energy density,” meaning that a small battery can hold a great deal of power.

Not surprisingly, lithium batteries are classified as hazardous material and are subject to specific requirements. Much thought must be given to carefully carrying them, as safety is paramount at Matson.

It helps to grasp what’s happening inside one of these units to understand better the right way to handle lithium batteries. A rechargeable lithium battery comprises cells in which ions move from the negative electrode through an electrolyte to the positive electrode during discharge and back when charging. This process runs in the background as we do daily tasks like charging or using our phones.

However, if a lithium battery gets damaged or is overheated, it has the potential to go into thermal runaway. This can be a troublesome phenomenon in which the battery enters an uncontrollable, self-heating state and can result in the ejection of gas, shrapnel, or particulates along with extremely high temperatures. A thermal runaway also means that the battery begins producing its fuel to burn, its oxygen to support combustion, and the heat necessary to keep the fire burning. The current solution to this situation is copious amounts of water.

Ashore, thermal runaway is fought by putting plenteous water onto the fire and submerging the battery, sometimes for days or longer. At sea, there is an ample supply of water; however, one must be cognizant of what too much water can do to the stability of a ship.

To stay on top of safety, Matson developed a collaborative team approach to tackle the complexities of carrying lithium batteries. SQES, Risk, Vessel Operations (including crew members), Terminal Operations, Commercial, and other internal and external stakeholders together focus on the issues. Existing policies are assessed, and new ones are developed based on viable solutions derived from ship and terminal feedback.

Our shoreside Lithium Battery Handling Procedure includes a review process and a used battery shipment checklist. Vessel procedures cover how to fight lithium fires and, more importantly, how to prevent them from occurring. This includes proper stowage, the use of new tools like thermal imaging cameras to see temperature spikes, and the deployment of the new Viking HydroPen, a firefighting tool designed to extinguish container fires, which replaces the traditional water mist lance.

The HydroPen quickly drills a hole into a container–within nine seconds–and begins flooding the box with water to fight a fire inside. It is a hole saw placed onto a container and spun by a water-driven impeller. The water begins to flood when the saw breaks through the container. In a recent test, it took over three minutes to insert the traditional lance into a container compared to the HydroPen’s nine seconds. As time is always of the essence in firefighting, this leap forward is significant, and Matson mariners will soon be seeing this tool arriving aboard their vessels.

Matson also established an Electric Vehicle Safe Carriage Working Group, and we are participating in external working groups on electric vehicles and lithium batteries.

Managing risk appropriately means that Matson can safely carry these ubiquitous and useful batteries and all the items they power in our daily lives. The mantra of continuous improvement is essential throughout this endeavor as we uncover new and better ways to ensure the safety of our people, equipment, and cargo.