KNKT: Electric Cars Are More Risky To Burn While On A Vessel

JAKARTA - The National Transportation Safety Committee (NTSC) revealed that electric vehicles (EVs) are more at risk of burning while on a ship.

"Regarding EV, at that time the agreement was with friends of the National Entrepreneurs Association for River Transportation, Lake and Crossing (GAPASDAP) to limit the number of electric vehicles using ships and if possible EVs were placed near the ship's door, because that is one of the best solutions," said KNKT Chairman Soerjanto Tjahjono as quoted by ANTARA, Tuesday, December 17.

This is because electric cars are more at risk of burning when on board and if the electric car caught fire on the ship, it will be difficult to extinguish.

Meanwhile, KNKT Shipping Investigator Bambang Safari Alwi said there were special requirements as stipulated in the circular letter from the Directorate General of Land Transportation of the Ministry of Transportation regarding the placement of electric vehicles on board.

According to Bambang, there must be a target deck or special area equipped with an A-60 fire shielding layer so that if an electric car fire occurs, the layer will last for 60 minutes, and give ship personnel time to evacuate passengers or how to try to extinguish the electric car fire.

Electric vehicles should also not be placed above the engine room of the ship because of the hot temperature coming from the engine room of the ship.

Then around the location for the electric vehicle is equipped with a number of safety equipment, and the most important thing is that the area or room can be easily monitored and monitored.

In addition, each crew member is scheduled to patrol the location of an electric vehicle to ensure that it is always in a safe condition.

Bambang said that until now there has been no effective extinguishing method for electric cars (EVs) aboard the ship considering the risk of a possible electric car burning is more risky than conventional vehicles.

"This is our mitigation method of how to prevent EV fires, because so far there has been no most effective way to extinguish the burning electric car," said Bambang.

For information, the Directorate General of Land Transportation of the Ministry of Transportation regulates how to load electric vehicles on a ferry ship through Circular Number SE-DRJD 7 of 2024 concerning Procedures for Strengthening Battery-Based Electric Vehicles on a ferry Transport Ship During the Eid Transport Period of 2024/1445 H.

This rule aims to ensure that the transportation of electric vehicles by ferry can be carried out safely, smoothly, orderly and regularly so that risks can be prevented.

This Circular applies to cargo transport vehicles in the form of electric motorized vehicles and the transportation of electric vehicles on ferry boats at crossings which are under the authority of the Directorate General of Land Transportation.

As for the circular, it was stated that electric vehicles were collected in an area marked specifically by ship owners or ship operators so that supervision is easy.

Electric vehicles to be loaded must be reported to the port operator and recorded in the manifest and its loading must meet the stability and load line provisions.