ClassNK granted its "AFVC (Additional Fire-Fighting measures for Vehicle Carrier)" notations to “CERULEAN ACE,” an LNG-fueled car carrier operated by Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. and managed by MOL Ship Management Co., Ltd., for vessels equipped with additional firefighting measures for transporting electric vehicles (EVs). It is the first vessel in the ClassNK registry to receive the "AFVC" notations, and it marks the world's first case of a shipping company's voluntary and customized approach to the safe maritime transport of EVs being recognized through a notation.
Shipping companies are implementing various measures to address EV fires, which raise concerns due to difficulties in extinguishing and the risk of re-ignition. To support these efforts, ClassNK has issued the "Guidelines for the Safe Transportation of Electric Vehicles." These guidelines explain the characteristics of EV fires and provide guidance on how to respond, while also setting out five types of "AFVC" notations according to various safety measures.
ClassNK confirmed that the “CERULEAN ACE” meets the requirements for three of these five notations: FD (Fire Detection), FF (Fire Fighting), and EFF (Enhanced Fixed Fire-extinguishing System) and affixed these notations accordingly. For the FD notation, it was recognized that the installation of system which sends an alarm to the crewmember onboard and to the onshore ship management company when the artificial intelligence detects abnormality in the images captured by camera, leads to an earlier identification of fire on cargo.