When it comes to global logistics, it seems no news is good news. If a transoceanic journey of goods goes without a hitch, you never hear about it.
But when things go wrong, they can go very wrong – and we’ve seen that play out in several dramatic fires in the past few years that have resulted in high profile tales of doomed cargo ships.
Most recently, an incident involving the cargo carrier Morning Midas led to millions in losses after a fire broke out and the ship sank off the coast of Alaska with more than 3,000 vehicles on board. At issue was concern over the electric and hybrid electric vehicles, and suggestions that the fire broke out on the deck with the EVs.
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And whether or not the electrics caused the fire is one thing; the other is that once lithium-ion batteries catch fire, they can be notoriously difficult to extinguish.
Well, one major player in Pacific cargo transportation has drawn a line in the sand when it comes to this issue.
Matson, Inc. has announced that it is halting shipments of “vehicles powered by large lithium-ion batteries.”
Matson added that it would cease booking these types of shipments “effective immediately” due to “increasing concern” over safety.
Matson is headquartered in Honolulu and is a major shipper of EVs to the Hawaiian islands and Alaska, meaning certain buyers will have fewer options due to the change.
That said, they note that this issue may not be a permanent one.
Matson’s style of storage – where each vehicle is kept in an individual container versus on vast open storage decks – “complicates” fire detection efforts, according to Carscoops. The company said it will continue to support industry efforts “to develop comprehensive standards and procedures to address fire risk posed by lithium-ion batteries at sea.”
If its safety requirements can ultimately be met, Matson says it will resume shipments of electrics.
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