Government produces guidance for lithium battery installations in boats.

[Alan de Enfield]

MGN 550 (M+F) Amendment 1: Electrical installations - guidance for safe design, installation and operation of lithium-ion batteries

 

 

The Pdf is 4mb which the forum will not accept, if you would like a copy send me a pm with you email and I'll forward the latest (2024) version to you.

 

 

Marine Guidance Note 550: 'Electrical Installations - Guidance for Safe Design, Installation and Operation of Lithium-ion Batteries.'

The intent of this MGN is to provide the marine industry with best practice guidance to facilitate safe and environmentally friendly battery solutions for vessels utilising lithium-ion marine batteries as part of an energy source, hybrid power system or as the sole source of propulsion.

MGN 550 was originally published in 2016, with a significantly amended version published in 2024. Topics include Battery System Design, Battery Replacement, Battery Management System, Battery Space and Storage, Ventilation, Cooling Systems, Operation and Handling, Fire Detection, Fire Fighting, Disassembly and Recycling.

The need to reduce emissions is driving battery use within the marine industry. Battery technology is rapidly evolving, enabling the production of more efficient batteries for the use of energy, hybrid and sole propulsion on board vessels. Lithium-ion battery technologies have become a viable energy storage option, due to greatly improved energy density. However, these do not come without risks.

 

Lithium-ion batteries and associated components intended for powering a vessel should comply with a recognised standard meeting the approval of the Administration (see Annex 1 of this MGN). Where lithium-ion batteries are to be used for propulsion, the design and capacity of the electrical energy storage system should be appropriate for the intended operation of the vessel, including capacity for an energy reserve, such as higher power demand in adverse weather or for emergency operations.

MGN 550 was originally published in 2016, with amended version published in 2024.

 

 

 

[David Mack]

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mgn-550-mf-amendment-1-electrical-installations-guidance-for-safe-design-installation-and-operation-of-lithium-ion-batteries/mgn-550-mf-amendment-1-electrical-installations-guidance-for-safe-design-installation-and-operation-of-lithium-ion-batteries

[dmr]

It doesn't really say very much that is applicable to narrowboats and above and beyond common sense.

 

It refers only to Lithium-ion (unless I missed a bit), not sure if this excludes LiFePo, or if they use Lithium-ion as a general term for all lithiums.

[Jen-in-Wellies]

31 minutes ago, dmr said:

It doesn't really say very much that is applicable to narrowboats and above and beyond common sense.

 

It refers only to Lithium-ion (unless I missed a bit), not sure if this excludes LiFePo, or if they use Lithium-ion as a general term for all lithiums.

It mentions the variety of chemistries that can be used and that this needs to be taken in to account when designing, replacing, upgrading a system, so covers LiFePO4. 

[Gybe Ho]

Narrowboaters will no doubt appreciate the following advice from His Majesty's Government...

 

Quote

2.1 A battery system or Electrical Energy Storage (ESS) is a device that stores energy and is made up of cells, cell assemblies, modules, packs, electrical circuits and associated electronic equipment

 

[nicknorman]

8 minutes ago, Gybe Ho said:

Narrowboaters will no doubt appreciate the following advice from His Majesty's Government...

Well, government docs intended for the masses have to be specific and unambiguous. If they didn’t define “battery” some people would think it was a posh name for a fish and chip shop.

[Jen-in-Wellies]

37 minutes ago, nicknorman said:

Well, government docs intended for the masses have to be specific and unambiguous. If they didn’t define “battery” some people would think it was a posh name for a fish and chip shop.

Plus, if someone commercialises Lithium Kryptonite batteries in a years time, (double the storage, half the cost, still might catch fire, ideal for your supervillain lair), then the spec doesn't have to be rewritten.

[Machpoint005]

The Civil Service writes stuff (or re-writes technical stuff by People Who Know) so as to avoid loopholes. Mostly they successfully prevent know-alls from doing stupid things  

 

 

[MtB]

7 minutes ago, Machpoint005 said:

The Civil Service writes stuff (or re-writes technical stuff by People Who Know) so as to avoid loopholes. Mostly they successfully prevent know-alls from doing stupid things  

 

 

I very much doubt the know-alls rely all that heavily on government advice. 

 

I certainly don't! 

 

 

 

 

2 hours ago, dmr said:

It doesn't really say very much that is applicable to narrowboats and above and beyond common sense.

 

It refers only to Lithium-ion (unless I missed a bit), not sure if this excludes LiFePo, or if they use Lithium-ion as a general term for all lithiums.

 

Well here's a quote from it that doesn't apply to LFP (as I understand the characteristics of LFP):

 

"2.2 A key hazard of lithium-ion battery installation is that a single cell defect may cascade through a module, and an entire battery system, quickly turning into a thermal runaway event and a full fire incident. "

[Jen-in-Wellies]

21 minutes ago, MtB said:

 

I very much doubt the know-alls rely all that heavily on government advice. 

 

I certainly don't! 

The point is that when the know-all's remains are retrieved from the bottom of the smoking crater they created, the government, coroner, insurance company, etc can say it is the know-all's fault. The advice was there. 

[cuthound]

19 minutes ago, Machpoint005 said:

The Civil Service writes stuff (or re-writes technical stuff by People Who Know) so as to avoid loopholes. Mostly they successfully prevent know-alls from doing stupid things  

 

 

 

Ah, so that explains why it is unknown for government contracts to finish late or go over budget... 🤣😅

[MtB]

8 minutes ago, Jen-in-Wellies said:

The point is that when the know-alls remains are retrieved from the bottom of the smoking crater they created, the government, coroner, insurance company, etc can say it is the know-all's fault. The advice was there. 

 

Quite so. 

 

Advice like this is not published by governments not so much as to avoid accidents, as to assign blame. 

 

 

And it will assign blame incorrectly in the case of LFP cells. 

 

Or do we now all accept that LFP cells can suffer "thermal runaway events", as the government document states? 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 5 by MtB
Fiddle with it

[Machpoint005]

It amazes me just how readily the general case is applied to the particular by People Who Should Know Better. 

 

And vice versa.

 

[Bargebuilder]

I know of a marina in Leicestershire that has banned completely boats with lithium chemistry batteries: I've seen the circular they sent to berth holders. They blame their insurance company, stating that accidents involving lithium batteries aren't covered. 

 

Is this marina unique in this respect, or are there others? Might other marinas follow?

 

[MtB]

4 minutes ago, Bargebuilder said:

I know of a marina in Leicestershire that has banned completely boats with lithium chemistry batteries: I've seen the circular they sent to berth holders. They blame their insurance company, stating that accidents involving lithium batteries aren't covered. 

 

Is this marina unique in this respect, or are there others? Might other marinas follow?

 

 

This is a disappointing development. More competition for CRT on-line moorings! 

 

 

[AJLElectronics]

3 hours ago, MtB said:

Or do we now all accept that LFP cells can suffer "thermal runaway events", as the government document states? 

Just like HM Elfin Safe Tea department who are adamant that water based paint uses an Isocyanate hardener. A few years ago I did ask for an example of such a paint and was referred back to their documentation. Likewise one of their inspectors. It sort of had these rules...

 

1) Water based paint uses Isocyanate hardener.

2) Should it not, refer rule 1.

[MtB]

 

Mind you, I can see pressure on insurance companies to distinguish between (safe) LFP and other (incendiary) L-ion battery types developing. 

 

 

Also, its a bit weird that insurance companies don't seem to mind megaWattHours of highly flammable petrol being kept in boat fuel tanks, but get the shivers at a boxful of electricity.

 

 

[Bargebuilder]

12 minutes ago, MtB said:

Also, its a bit weird that insurance companies don't seem to mind megaWattHours of highly flammable petrol being kept in boat fuel tanks, but get the shivers at a boxful of electricity.

Good point, but are there many cases of petrol in fuel tanks spontaneously combusting? Also, petrol can be extinguished with the correct extinguisher.

[NB Saturn]

25 minutes ago, Bargebuilder said:

I know of a marina in Leicestershire that has banned completely boats with lithium chemistry batteries: I've seen the circular they sent to berth holders. They blame their insurance company, stating that accidents involving lithium batteries aren't covered. 

 

Is this marina unique in this respect, or are there others? Might other marinas follow?

 

 

Do theh ban people from keeping e-bikes and suchlike on their boats? They’re a much higher risk of causing a fire.

[DShK]

Is there of anything of use in this or is it more jobsworth excitement over kafkaesque bureaucracy? 

[NB Saturn]

19 minutes ago, MtB said:

 

Mind you, I can see pressure on insurance companies to distinguish between (safe) LFP and other (incendiary) L-ion battery types developing. 

 

 

Also, its a bit weird that insurance companies don't seem to mind megaWattHours of highly flammable petrol being kept in boat fuel tanks, but get the shivers at a boxful of electricity.

 

 

 

My insurers have never asked about batteriex on board, nor is there a mention in the policy detail.  Since the new one has propulsion: electric motor they’d struggle to be surprised at the presence of a large battery bank.

[Bargebuilder]

5 minutes ago, NB Saturn said:

 

Do theh ban people from keeping e-bikes and suchlike on their boats? They’re a much higher risk of causing a fire.

E-bikes and for that matter mobile phones, battery tools etc weren't mentioned specifically. The implication was just house/cranking batteries and of course battery powered/engined boats. 

 

It's possible that if a fire were to be caused by any lithium battery, even a phone, their insurance company may use the exclusion to avoid paying out.

[matty40s]

41 minutes ago, Bargebuilder said:

I know of a marina in Leicestershire that has banned completely boats with lithium chemistry batteries: I've seen the circular they sent to berth holders. They blame their insurance company, stating that accidents involving lithium batteries aren't covered. 

 

Is this marina unique in this respect, or are there others? Might other marinas follow?

 

It is not unique.

[Bargebuilder]

7 minutes ago, matty40s said:

It is not unique.

If it's not unique, might it be a trend?

 

Lithium batteries can represent quite an investment, so to be told they must be removed would be frustrating to say the least.

[Alan de Enfield]

2 hours ago, Bargebuilder said:

I know of a marina in Leicestershire that has banned completely boats with lithium chemistry batteries:

 

 

Is it the one that declared bankruptcy and then 'did a Phoenix' (a new company rises from the ashes) to avoid paying C&RT the £160,000 they owed them ?