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When it comes to global logistics, it seems no
news is good news.
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If a transoceanic journey of goods goes without
a hitch,
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you never hear about it.
But when things go wrong,
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they can go very wrong.
And we’ve seen that play out in several
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dramatic fires in the past few years that have
resulted in high-profile tales of doomed cargo
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ships.
Most recently, an incident involving the cargo
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carrier Morning Midas led to millions in losses
after a fire broke out and the ship sank.
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Off the coast of Alaska with more than 3,000
vehicles on board.
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At issue was concern over the electric and
hybrid electric vehicles, and suggestions that
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the fire broke out on the deck with the EVs.
And whether or not the electrics caused the
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fire is one thing.
The other is that once lithium-ion batteries
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catch fire, they can be notoriously difficult
to extinguish.
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Well, one major player in Pacific cargo
transportation has drawn a line in the sand
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when it comes to this.
Matson Inc.
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Has announced that it is halting shipments of
vehicles powered by large lithium-ion batteries.
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Matson added that it would cease booking these
types of shipments effective immediately due to
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increasing concern over safety.
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Matson is headquartered in Honolulu and is a
major shipper of EVs to the Hawaiian Islands in
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Alaska, meaning certain buyers will have fewer
options due to the change.
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That said, they note that this issue may not be
a permanent one.
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Matson’s style of storage, where each vehicle
is kept in an individual container versus on
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vast open storage decks, complicates fire
detection efforts,
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according to Car Scoops.
The company said it will continue to support
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industry efforts to develop comprehensive
standards and procedures to address fire risk
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posed by lithium-ion batteries at sea.
If its safety requirements can ultimately be
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met, Matson says it will resume shipments of
electrics.
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I’m Anna Wells, and this is Manufacturing Now.