Comment / Supply chain radar: The explosive risks of the lithium battery trade

Photo: Portuguese Navy

It is way too early to pinpoint the cause of the catastrophic fire on board Mitsui’s Felicity Ace, but initial reports suggest that if the inferno wasn’t caused by lithium batteries in an electric vehicle, it is increasingly likely to have been exacerbated by them.

The growth in the battery-powered vehicle trade is sure to cause many a sleepless night for insurers, lawyers and ship managers, let alone the crews and officers on board.

The facts as we currently know them are ...