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From personal smartphones and laptops to seabobs and e-foils – lithium-ion battery powered devices rapidly find their way onboard superyachts. In daily life, we never think about potential hazards of li-ion batteries, not until we learn about smartphones that overheat, catch fire, or explode and get banned on aircrafts, for example, or an airplane that gets grounded after one of its batteries sends smoke. As for the maritime industry, it certainly does not need another Felicity Ace to prove that Lithium-ion batteries onboard deserve special attention.
What kind of risk does a lithium-ion battery pose? The fundamental issue lies in the chemical composition and the potential for thermal runaway—a chain reaction leading to a rapid increase in temperature and pressure, which can result in a fire or explosion.
What Can Trigger Thermal Runaway?
Several factors can trigger thermal runaway, including overcharging, short-circuiting, physical damage, and exposure to high temperatures. On a superyacht, where space is limited and the environment is constrained, these risks are amplified. One would not want to imagine the consequences of charging a seabob with a damaged battery next to fuel-powered tenders and jet skis.
The problem is exacerbated with the fact that fires caused by traditional combustibles have been researched and classified, whereas lithium-ion fires is a recent phenomenon, and it will take time before firemen know exactly what to do. All what has been known so far is that lithium-ion fires are more dangerous due to their intense heat, reactivity, and the complexity of extinguishing them. Any type of fire is easier to prevent than manage, and li-ion especially so. The only way to prevent, as it appears obvious, is to be aware of potential hazards of lithium-ion batteries.
The Importance Of Awareness
Awareness was the key word for Seascope France, yacht crew training company in Antibes, when it undertook a mammoth task of researching lithium-ion battery usage onboard. Driven by safety, the company set as its goal to collect all what has been known so far about lithium-ion and deliver it to captains, crew, DPAs, yacht management and insurance companies in a concise, comprehensible, and visual way. The task was successfully completed with the help of experts in marine industry.
Introducing the course that covers it all
This resulted in a Lithium-ion Battery Safety Awareness on Superyachts course, which has become available online thanks to VirSec. The course aims to equip with essential knowledge about lithium-ion electrochemistry, signs of battery damage, and best practices that can be implemented onboard to mitigate risks. It is designed to meet the requirements and recommendations outlined in MGNs 550 (M+F), 681(M), and Red Ensign Group Yacht Code, and has been recently approved by the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS).
Even though it’s not completely clear if lithium-ion batteries are more likely to start a fire than, for instance, a PWC with a gasoline engine, but as more batteries are used and carried on board, we are likely to see more fires or dangerous situations involving li-ion. This concern explains a growing demand for the Lithium-ion Battery Safety Awareness on Superyachts course coming from boats in Europe and America.
Seascope France is taking the chance to address the need for change
Drawing from the thoughts of Eckhart Tolle, “Awareness is the greatest agent for change”. Undoubtedly, putting an online course to draw attention and bring awareness is a good start. But it is not sufficient for a change that superyacht industry needs in order to avert another Felicity Ace-type disaster. Seascope France will further address industry stakeholders at the upcoming PYA’s Sea Changes Forum held on the 26th of September on the margins of Monaco Yacht Show.
The school’s STCW Basic Safety instructor and former fire fighter Gerard Griffiths will share his thoughts on the issue of lithium-ion fires and its importance for proper crew training. Tickets to the forum can be booked directly with PYA.
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