On December 25, 2023, at 0830, while the cargo vessel Genius Star XI was transiting the North Pacific Ocean in heavy weather with a cargo of lithium-ion battery energy storage system units on board, a fire was discovered in a cargo hold. Crew discharged the vessel’s fixed gas (carbon dioxide) fire extinguishing system into the hold, and the vessel proceeded to the nearest port, Dutch Harbor, Alaska, for assistance. On December 28, about 0215, while the vessel was en route to Dutch Harbor, a fire started in a second cargo hold. The crew externally cooled the cargo hold using fire hoses, and, after the vessel anchored in Dutch Harbor on December 29, the fire was determined to be extinguished. There were no injuries, and no pollution was reported. Damage from both fires was estimated at $3.8 million.
We determined that the probable cause of the two (December 25 and Dember 28, 2023) fires aboard the Genius Star XI was the breakaway of 41 battery energy storage systems (BESS) units in the cargo holds during heavy weather conditions due to improperly secured lashing belts, which resulted in internal structural deformation of these units and thermal runaway of lithium-ion battery packs in three of the BESS units.
