The 18,500-tonne Panama-flagged transport ship that has been on fire off the Dutch coast since July 25 is carrying almost 500 electric vehicles (EVs), according to the vessel’s Japanese operator, rather than 25 as was initially reported among its more than 3,000-vehicle cargo.
On the afternoon of July 28, the Fremantle Highway remains engulfed in flames due to the extraordinarily difficult circumstances firefighters are confronted with – and further problems are adding up.
A Tokyo-based spokesperson for K Line, the ship’s charter company, said there are 3,783 vehicles on board, including 498 EVs. The spokesman said the firm was unable to give further details about the cars, owing to trade agreements. Bloomberg reported there are hundreds of BMW and Mercedes vehicles on board.
EV fires are notoriously difficult to extinguish. The Dutch coastguard said on its website on July 27 that the root of the fire was unknown but an emergency responder is heard in a recording saying that the blaze was caused by a battery in of one of the EVs.
EV lithium-ion batteries burn with twice the energy of a normal fire, meaning that when they catch alight, the blaze is longer and more intense. It is possible such fires can reignite hours or even days after having been apparently extinguished.
Maritime officials and insurers allege the shipping industry has not kept up with the risks of EV transport. Adding to the difficulties regarding the Freemantle Highway is the fact that firefighters are concerned the ship will sink if they use too much water to quench the flames.
That is a worry for environmentalists as the vessel is close to a chain of Dutch and German islands in the shallow Wadden Sea, a World Heritage-listed area. It is described by UNESCO as “the largest unbroken system of intertidal sand and mud flats in the world” and “one of the most important areas for migratory birds in the world”.
Vanuit het kustwacht✈️ zijn ook nieuwe videobeelden gemaakt van de #FremantleHighway. Updates worden gedeeld op ons liveblog (evenals video- en fotomateriaal voor de media): https://t.co/gWwfcKau0z pic.twitter.com/P6G0jZLRjM
— Kustwacht Nederland (@Kustwacht_nl) July 27, 2023
The Dutch coastguard has managed to tow the burning ship away from navigational routes and will keep it in the “optimal location”. That will come a s a relief to other shippers as the Dutch North Sea is a vital European waterway.
As of writing, the coast guard has said it is unable to determine the exact number of EVs onboard and is still trying to ascertain the actual amount from the involved parties.
The fire has left one Freemantle Highway crew member dead and 16 wounded so far.
