Voluntary EV Fire Prevention Measures Earn ClassNK Certification

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) has been granted certification for its voluntary efforts to improve fire prevention on the car carrier Cerulean Ace.

The LNG-fueled vessel is operated by MOL and managed by MOL Ship Management. It has been granted certification for "Additional Fire-Fighting measures for Vehicle Carrier (AFVC)" by ClassNK for measures that prevent onboard fires during the transport of electric vehicles (EV).

This is a world first for a shipping company's voluntary measures against EV fires earning certification from a classification society.

Shipping companies are implementing various measures to address EV fires, which raise concerns due to difficulties in extinguishing and the risk of re-ignition. To support these efforts, ClassNK has issued the ‘Guidelines for the Safe Transportation of Electric Vehicles’ in 2023. These guidelines explain the characteristics of EV fires and provide guidance on how to respond, while also setting out five types of ‘AFVC’ notations according to various safety measures.

The Cerulean Ace was certified as meeting three of the guideline's requirements: FD (Fire Detection), FF (Fire Fighting) and EFF (Enhanced Fixed Fire-extinguishing system).

One of the most advanced initiatives among the three provisions certified this time is the installation of cameras and artificial intelligence systems for smoke recognition in the cargo holds. When the AI system detects an abnormality in the images captured by the camera, it sends an alarm to the crew and the onshore ship management company.