The Royal Association of Dutch Shipowners is calling for stricter regulations for the sea transport of electric vehicles.
The freighter Fremantle Highway was the scene of a catastrophic fire north of Ameland. According to sources, the fire broke out aboard the ship with as many as 3.000 cars on board and the fire spread at lightning speed. The 23-person crew had to evacuate in a hurry. Tragically, one person on board was killed on board a KNRM lifeboat.
The ship's Japanese owner Shoei Kisen Kaisha, also owner of the infamous Ever Given that blocked the Suez Canal in 2021, speculates that the cause of the fire may be the electric cars on board. These incidents cast a shadow on maritime safety and the transport of electric vehicles.
The Royal Association of Dutch Shipowners is calling for stricter regulations for the sea transport of electric vehicles. Although the International Maritime Organization of the UN is tightening rules, it remains unclear when these new guidelines will be introduced.
Extinguishing the Fremantle Hwy is a challenge. Electric cars that burn are difficult to extinguish. Often electric cars that catch fire are placed in a water container for weeks to prevent re-ignition of the batteries. The incident brings back memories of the fire on the freighter Felicity Ace last year, which eventually sank with 4.000 luxury cars on board, including brand new models from Porsche, Audi, Bentley and Lamborghini.
"It is a headache," says KVNR chairman Jan Valkier at NOS. "We had a similar accident in the middle of the ocean last year where a ship completely burned out and sank."
So far there is no clarity on the makes and models of the cars aboard the Fremantle Highway. With this tragic incident, the maritime world is again confronted with the risks and challenges of transporting electric vehicles by sea. Vessel Fremantle Highway is a Vehicle Carrier built in 2013 and currently sailing under the flag of Panama. The ship had departed Bremen and was bound for the port of Port Said, Egypt, and was expected to arrive there at 2:19 p.m. on August 00.
salvage
The Fremantle Highway was on a busy shipping lane north of the Dutch Wadden Islands, about 27 kilometers north of Ameland, when the fire broke out. The Papendrecht maritime service provider Boskalis and the Terneuzen-based Multraship have been commissioned by the Japanese ship owner to salvage the burning car carrier Fremantle Highway. The time when the salvage work can start remains unclear for the time being. Coordination is carried out by the Coast Guard.