The West P&I Club has joined the Marine Battery Forum, a global forum of experts in marine battery technology including shipowners, manufacturers, shipyards, classification societies, academia, insurers, charterers, and cargo owners.
The forum, which was started by 15 Norwegian companies in 2014, now has over 70 members from Europe, North America, and Asia, and has been focused on five key areas concerning maritime batteries and marine electrification: technology, applications, safety, standardisation, and sustainability. Since its inception, the Marine Battery Forum has been actively campaigning to expedite the adoption of safe maritime battery solutions to facilitate emission reduction from ships.
According to West P&I’s global head for loss prevention, Capt. Simon Hodgkinson (pictured), the primary goal of West in joining the forum is to further strengthen its campaign for sustainability and safety in sea-going vessels.
“West’s commitment to promoting safety awareness and addressing risks associated with advancing maritime technologies remains a fundamental aspect of our partnership with the Maritime Battery Forum,” Hodgkinson said. “As the industry embraces lithium-ion batteries in various applications on board ships, we recognise the importance of comprehending the risks associated with these evolving technologies. This understanding is essential for us as a P&I Club to effectively support our members and provide insurance coverage as they work towards meeting the ambitious goal of achieving net zero emissions close to 2050, as outlined in the IMO’s 2023 GHG strategy, which aligns with our Climate Action goal of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) policy.”
Transporting electric vehicles using lithium-ion batteries, and the use of lithium-ion batteries for more sustainable energy directly onboard vessels, poses potential danger on a ship since they can cause fires. According to West, fires caused by lithium-ion batteries represent a significant risk to shipowners and operators and can result in large claims.
“In the event of an incident, immediate and prolonged fire suppression by crew is important but extremely challenging. Therefore, thorough loss prevention is vital to minimising the risk of an incident,” West P&I stated.
Meanwhile, to reinforce its claims team, West P&I has announced the promotion of Paul Kaye as deputy group head of claims. He will be joining Suzanne Byrne, group head of claims.
Even with his promotion, West P&I stated that Kaye will retain his role as head of claims for its European team. Kaye has been with the club for 13 years.
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