Lithium-ion batteries aren’t just cargo — they are stored energy.
And energy, onboard and inside a Ro-Ro, requires engineering, planning and discipline.
The C-SAR Lithium-Ion Battery Guidelines, made available by London P&I Club, outline three non-negotiable control pillars:
1. State of Charge — the first risk variable
Lower SOC means safer thermal behaviour.
Best practice: 30–40% SOC for carriage, even lower for BESS.
2. Packaging & integrity
Only certified IMDG-compliant units, no damaged cells, no unknown history.
Every failure starts with a single weak point.
3. Stowage & monitoring
Separation from heat sources, ventilation reliability, early-fire detection (vapour, IR, gas).
Firefighting = cooling and containment, not just suppression.
The full guideline, courtesy of London P&I, is available here:
🔗 https://www.londonpandi.com/Media/3238/csar-101a_lithium-ion-batteries-guidelines-24-march-2023.pdf
Which control measure is most difficult to enforce in real operations?
I’m genuinely interested in how different terminals and operators address this.
#Maritime #LithiumBatteries #RiskManagement #Safety #Shipping #PandI #Operations
Knowledge, precision, responsibility — every day in shipping and beyond. ⚓️
