The FREMANTLE HIGHWAY was loaded in Bremerhaven with some 2,500 vehicles of various models from different manufacturers as well as high & heavy goods. It left the port on the afternoon of July 25, 2023. The vehicles we loaded were mainly new vehicles. As a rule, ships arrive from other ports with loads already on board.
The authorities are investigating the exact cause of the fire and also on which deck it started. Naturally, we are doing everything we can to support the investigations so that the details of the accident can be determined.
Loading involves various parties (responsible for stowage, load securing etc.) who work together for the shipping company. Strict safety regulations apply.
In the case of the FREMANTLE HIGHWAY, we drove the vehicles onto the ship following all regulations and according to the stowage plan provided by the shipping company.
Currently, around 10% to 15% of the vehicles handled at the BLG AutoTerminal Bremerhaven are e-vehicles. The site has a capacity of approx. 70,000 vehicles. Last year the terminal handled, transported, or technically processed a total of 1.7 million vehicles.
That depends on the size of the vessel – some deep sea carriers can theoretically transport between 6,000 and 8,000 cars, and smaller feeder vessels carry up to 1,500 vehicles. The exact number also depends on the volume of high & heavy goods, and of course the different sizes of the vehicles. Usually, the ships are not fully loaded or unloaded at a single port. They arrive at Bremerhaven with previously loaded cargoes.
Currently, around 10% to 15% of the vehicles handled at the terminal in Bremerhaven are e-vehicles. The BLG AutoTerminal Bremerhaven has a capacity of approx. 70,000 vehicles. Last year the terminal handled, transported, or technically processed a total of 1.7 million vehicles.
More information is available here.
We comply with all the statutory provisions and consistently apply the conditions and requirements of the auto manufacturers. We cooperate closely with all the relevant authorities, organizations and institutions (e.g. fire service, bremenports, port captains of the shipping companies etc.).
The auto terminal has five dedicated quarantine lots for critical high-voltage vehicles. We also employ HV experts for e-vehicles in our technical centers. If a vehicle is damaged, we monitor it for five days. That's because an accident may have triggered a so-called thermal runaway where the battery heats up and can burst into flames without warning.
E-vehicles do not catch fire more easily than combustion vehicles, but if a fire does occur, it takes a different firefighting method to put it out. The terminal is well prepared for this eventuality.
We have a fixed procedure for dealing with any e-vehicle that catches fire. For example, our technical centers are equipped with additional fire blankets for electric cars. They are made of a special textile used in the blast furnace industry. We always call in the firefighting service to extinguish a vehicle fire.
