Lithium-ion batteries are now in almost everything that travels by sea: electric and hybrid vehicles in the cargo, e-bikes and power tools in containers, and increasingly the ship’s own battery systems. When one of them fails it can burn hotter and longer than a conventional fire. In March 2026 the IMO Sub-Committee on Ship Systems and Equipment (SSE 12) took the next step on the rules that will address this.
What SSE 12 agreed
According to DNV’s summary of the meeting, held in March 2026, the sub-committee made progress in three areas:
- Containerships: draft amendments to SOLAS regulation II-2/7 that would require portable infrared thermal imagers, together with work on water mist lances. The implementation target is 1 January 2032.
- Vehicle carriers and new-energy vehicles: priority for interim guidelines for pure car and truck carriers (PCTCs) and for video monitoring systems. The correspondence group runs through March 2027, and any SOLAS amendments are expected on 1 January 2032 at the earliest.
- Battery energy storage systems: a start on technology-neutral, goal-based interim guidelines for ships that use batteries, with completion targeted for 2028.
So the binding SOLAS rules are still years away. In the meantime, interim guidelines and industry practice set the pace.
Why thermal imaging and video monitoring
A thermal imager lets a crew find a hot spot inside a container stack or a vehicle deck before it becomes visible flame. Video monitoring of cargo spaces gives the bridge an early picture of what is happening without sending people into a dangerous space. Both ideas are about detection and early response, which is where most of the outcome is decided.
What operators can do now
- Check your detection. Make sure fixed detection and alarm systems on cargo decks and machinery spaces are tested and that faults are cleared, not silenced.
- Look at your fire main and fixed systems. Confirm pumps, valves, hoses, nozzles and the water supply are in working order and that the crew knows how to use them.
- Train for battery fires specifically. A lithium-ion fire needs cooling and time. Drills should reflect that, and breathing apparatus and escape sets should be inspected and ready.
- Keep certificates and records current. Service records for extinguishers, fixed systems and breathing apparatus are the first thing a surveyor or port State inspector asks for.
Berth Marine inspects and services onboard fire fighting systems in line with SOLAS and IMO rules. Read more on our fire fighting service page, look at our gas detector calibration service for the instruments that support early warning, or contact us for a vessel visit.
This article is for information only. Follow your company’s safety management system, flag State and class requirements.