{"id":79425,"date":"2026-08-24T21:51:08","date_gmt":"2026-08-24T21:51:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/79425\/"},"modified":"2026-08-24T21:51:08","modified_gmt":"2026-08-24T21:51:08","slug":"australia-not-ready-for-major-ev-port-fire-top-boss-warns","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/79425\/","title":{"rendered":"Australia not ready for major EV port fire, top boss warns"},"content":{"rendered":"

Australia is not ready for a major EV fire at one of its ports \u2014 and the nation\u2019s top port boss says it\u2019s only a matter of time before an incident occurs. <\/p>\n

Ports Australia chief executive officer Mike Gallacher said emergency crews are not currently equipped to deal with a lithium-ion battery blaze on a ship or inside a packed container yard, despite the growing flood of electric vehicles and battery-powered goods arriving in the country. <\/p>\n

RELATED: \u2018Burnt through\u2019: Pics reveal EV inferno horror<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cYou can\u2019t throw a fire blanket over these things,\u201d Gallacher said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe vehicles are packed into a car carrier within about 15 centimetres of one another.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s going to be very hard for anyone to move between those vehicles, to be able to get to a fire.\u201d<\/p>\n

If one EV goes into thermal runaway \u2013 an unstoppable chain reaction where an increase in temperature changes a system\u2019s conditions in a way that causes an even greater temperature increase \u2013 and ignites while on a packed container ship, it can start a chain reaction with other lithium-battery cars or machinery.<\/p>\n

MORE: Wild tech to save passengers from \u2018ejection\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n

UNIQUE CHALLENGES OF EV BATTERY FIRES<\/p>\n

Battery fires come with their own unique challenges. They burn hotter and can also emit toxic, potentially explosive gases. <\/p>\n

EVs have already been implicated as a possible cause of two major ship fires. <\/p>\n

In June 2023, carrier ship the Fremantle Highway suffered major fire damage while transporting 3,500 cars, including 500 EVs.<\/p>\n

Then in 2025, the Morning Midas sank in international waters <\/a>while transporting 3000 cars, 800 of which were EVs. <\/p>\n

While these incidents happened well-off shore, there are concerns about a similar fire occurring while a ship is in a port, or near a densely-populated area. <\/p>\n

At present, there is no agreed upon response for a lithium-ion battery that occurs on a ship while in an Australian port. <\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

\u201cThe approach that\u2019s currently taken is to remove the vessel, try to get it back out into deep water where the vessel will just burn,\u201d Gallacher says. <\/p>\n

\u201cThen you have the question, which of the towage operators is going to agree to tow the vessel outside?\u201d <\/p>\n

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority said it is examining national preparedness as maritime risks change, including \u201cemerging hazards, such as a shipboard fire involving lithium batteries\u201d. <\/p>\n

MORE:Tesla smashed with millions of cars recalled<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cThe National Plan for Maritime Environmental Emergencies is Australia\u2019s national framework for responding to maritime emergencies and sets out how governments and industry work together to prepare for, respond to and recover from incidents in Australian waters,\u201d AMSA said in a statement. <\/p>\n

\u201cA major review is underway to ensure response arrangements remain fit for purpose.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gallacher says the global shipping industry is playing catch up with technology. <\/p>\n

\u201cThere is no international approach,\u201d Gallacher said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhilst the take-up on the technology has been very, very fast. Our ability to deal with the risks continues to evolve.\u201d<\/p>\n

MORE: Failed car brand\u2019s $1000 \u2018insult\u2019 to owners<\/a><\/p>\n

The threat is not confined to ships. Gallacher warned ports could also be hit by lithium-ion battery fires inside container stacks, where access is tight and removing surrounding cargo may be impossible.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s easier for our first responders to be able to deal with an EV fire if it is in isolation,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut when it\u2019s stacked in the middle of a stack of containers, it\u2019s not a simple case of just unpacking the others.\u201d<\/p>\n

With no official international guidance, the Australian Ports authority is now leading the charge for a best-practice guide for lithium-ion battery fires. They\u2019ve consulted a number of experts in this field and are working on responses. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt is a global challenge, but it\u2019s one that I\u2019m pleased to say Australia\u2019s leading the discussion and it\u2019s now taking on legs of its own.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Australia is not ready for a major EV fire at one of its ports \u2014 and the 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