ER Editor: Colleague and contributor Michel van der Kemp has sent us some links with further information on this cargo ship carrying cars amongst other freight, the Fremantle Highway (twitter link), that caught fire between late Tuesday and Wednesday morning of this week. All (23) had to be rescued from the water as it was impossible to remain aboard: one person died after being rescued. See this article (Wednesday, MSM alert, browsers will translate):
Fire on cargo ship near Ameland not extinguished after hours, salvage major challenge
We’re wondering about angles to this story. More bad publicity for electric vehicles, that are clearly dangerous? Take a look at this curious detail:
Rijkswaterstaat sees to it that the salvage takes place, but ultimately that is the responsibility of the Japanese shipowner. According to various maritime media, the owner of the ship is Shoei Kisen Kaisha and it is currently leased by the Japanese shipping company K Line. Shoei Kisen Kaisha also owns the Ever Given, the freighter that blocked the Suez Canal in 2021.
The freighter was sailing from Bremerhaven in northern Germany, past the Netherlands, Gibraltar, eventually to the Suez Canal and onto Singapore, Taiwan and Japan.
From the same site, later on Wednesday – Coast Guard: Fremantle Highway could take weeks to burn out
Some tweets taking us to the present —
The thermal image of #FremantleHighway and the discoloring along the hull indicates the extent of the fire that has ravaged the ship. pic.twitter.com/MOCoxjK4sV
— Sal Mercogliano (WGOW Shipping) 🚢⚓🐪🚒🏴☠️ (@mercoglianos) July 27, 2023
If you want the latest on #FremantleHighway, of course you can follow me, but the @Kustwacht_nl (Netherlands Coast Guard) have a live blog. https://t.co/dymRBmzcoX pic.twitter.com/wN9VI4eMjh
— Sal Mercogliano (WGOW Shipping) 🚢⚓🐪🚒🏴☠️ (@mercoglianos) July 26, 2023
The question will be if the ship can maintain its stability and hull integrity after such a severe fire.
If the fire remained above the engine room & waterline, then #FremantleHighway should remain buoyant. If it spreads, then she may flood and could go down like #FelicityAce. pic.twitter.com/VL010vWETf
— Sal Mercogliano (WGOW Shipping) 🚢⚓🐪🚒🏴☠️ (@mercoglianos) July 28, 2023
Latest update from @Kustwacht_nl
Temperature on board #FremantleHighway has decreased sharply.
Salvors boarded to affix a new tow, but then departed.
The ship is still being held between the Dutch coast and shipping lanes. pic.twitter.com/RbKujNoaRd
— Sal Mercogliano (WGOW Shipping) 🚢⚓🐪🚒🏴☠️ (@mercoglianos) July 28, 2023
Is this some sort of practical demonstration of how dangerous EVs are and some sort of indirect attack on the climate agenda? See the last part of the Zerohedge report below.
A reminder of the Ever Given incident in the Suez from spring of 2021 —
Suez Canal Container Ship Crash Is A “Worst-Case Scenario” For Global Trade [VIDEOS]
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500 EVs Among The 3000 Cars On Burning Ship Off Dutch Coast
The massive roll-on, roll-off ship ablaze off the Dutch coast is transporting 500 electric vehicles. The ship’s total cargo is around 3,800 vehicles, some of which are BMWs and Mercedes.
Shipping blog TradeWinds reported Japan’s K Line is the operator of “Fremantle Highway.” According to K Line’s figures, there are 3,783 vehicles, of which 489 are EVs. Earlier estimates had the number of EVs at 25.
“The figure is far higher than first estimated and appears to raise the likelihood that a lithium-ion battery in an EV either caused the blaze in the 6,210-ceu Fremantle Highway (built 2013) or added to its severity,” TradeWinds said.
Reuters pointed out that the Dutch coastguard said the fire’s origin is unknown, but Dutch broadcaster RTL said emergency responders were heard saying, “The fire started in the battery of an electric car.”
The fire broke out late Tuesday night on board the vessel. Coastguard officials said the fire “could still burn for days.” The latest known position of the ship was off the northern Dutch coast on Wednesday.
Nathan Habers, spokesperson for the Royal Association of Netherlands Shipowners, told Reuters, “When transporting electric cars powered by batteries – which when they catch fire can’t be extinguished with water, or even by oxygen deprivation.”
One significant risk for lithium-ion batteries is “thermal runaway” during a fire that is hard to extinguish and can spontaneously reignite. Yet another risk emerges as governments set decarbonization targets for the transportation sector.
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Source
Featured image, thermal image of ship: https://www.tradewindsnews.com/casualties/k-line-reveals-close-to-500-electric-vehicles-on-fire-ravaged-car-carrier-fremantle-highway/2-1-1492734
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