Lithium batteries as cargo on sea transports

The purpose of this thesis has been to compile general information on the transport of lithium-batteries on sea transports. A large proportion of batteries transported by sea are installed inside electric cars. The importance of the safety of these transports will increase in the coming years, as the sales of electric cars increase all the time. Safety onboard is the main aspect of the work, but the topic is dealt with on a large scale. There is not much experience with transportation of lithium batteries on vessels yet, since there has not been a lot of electric vehicles before what to transport. Therefore, it was important to study the subject. Research data will be useful, especially improving safety aspects. The nature of the work is to present todays situation in transporting lithium batteries on vessels. The descriptive method was used. The information used in this thesis was gathered mostly from internet sources. The work was done at a general level without paying too much attention to the endless details contained in the topics. The thesis was part of the one-year AlusAkku project. Results was showing that the growing EV market and future’s emission control will be pushing Maritime cluster operators who deal with EV transports, to make investments for safer and more efficient operations. Technological solutions are developing in a fast pace. This means that a lot of adaptation is needed in the years to come, inside the ships and at the port facilities (charging infrastructure) and in the safety solutions. Automation will be increasingly important in ship safety systems integration. Conclusion was that increasing number of EV transports show, that there is a need for regulatory work, and intensive co-operation is needed to gain proper and unified rules inside the industry