Page 145 - ΝΑΥΤΙΚΑ ΧΡΟΝΙΚΑ - ΜΑΙΟΣ 2023

HORIZON

FROM THE

BRIDGE

distance travelled records, deck logbook entries, design and manufacturing methods for their
ECDIS track, or similar can be used as evidence. use in electric vehicles (EVs) and other appli-
It is imperative to accurately capture and record cations requiring high-density energy. Never-
the data needed for applying the correction fac- theless, there has been a significant increase
tors and voyage adjustments throughout the CII in the carriage of lithium–ion batteries because
reporting period. Proper evidence also needs to of policies and trends for the “electrification of
be maintained. Obtaining the data and evidence everything”. They are commonly used in EVs and
will be tedious if left until the end of the report- a wide range of other products and equipment.
ing period. However, there have recently been many fires
on ships and ashore, demonstrating the signif-
GUIDELINES FOR MINIMISING THE icant risks resulting from the potential thermal
RISKS OF CARRYING LITHIUM-ION instability of high–energy lithium–ion batteries
BATTERIES installed in EVs and as standalone cargo. Stan-
The shipping industry generally recognises the dard Club’s Cargo Incident Notification System
need for greater commitment to health, safety, and Network (CINS) has developed guidelines
security, and the environment. The need for highlighting the risks that lithium–ion batteries
business, government and non-governmental can present and providing suggestions on identi-
organisations to work together to tackle the fying those risks and ensuring their safe carriage.
most pressing issues and societal challenges All stakeholders involved in the carriage of lith-
has never been more apparent. ium–ion batteries in containers have been asked
New energy sources and storage methodologies to carefully review these guidelines to determine
are urgently needed to reduce the environmen- if they can be implemented and applied to their
tal impact of fossil fuels and our dependency specific operations and requirements.
on them. The development and use of lithium– In particular, shippers and stakeholders han-
ion batteries are crucial in this context. How- dling, offering and providing storage or transport
ever, these batteries can present a significant of lithium–ion batteries should review their safe
risk to people, property, and the environment if carriage together with their customers, manu-
not properly handled, packaged, classified, and facturers, and suppliers to plan their transpor-
declared. Consequently, safety issues are one tation and communicate the relevant information
of the main obstacles restricting their broader and documentation to all stakeholders in the
application. supply chain to comply with international safety,
Lithium-ion batteries are a relatively new tech- health, and environmental legislation including,
nology, so there is still no consensus on the best but not limited to:

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