Superyacht Lithium Battery Storage
Currently in the yachting industry, there’s a blind spot threatening lives and vessels, but is being overlooked: improper storage and charging of lithium-ion batteries.
Lithium Ion batteries power everything including Tools, E-Bikes, E-Foils and underwater scooters, but the marine industry’s current safety protocols and storage equipment fall dangerously short of what’s required to manage the true risks and lack understanding of what a Lithium Battery Storage Box needs to do.
The Critical Importance of a Certified Lithium Battery Safety Box
Superyachts are now routinely equipped with multiple high-capacity lithium-ion devices. However, most vessels are storing them in uncertified or misused containers that offer no real protection against thermal runaway, gas toxicity, or explosion.
We’re seeing widespread reliance on:
- Mislabelled “fireproof lithium battery boxes” made of thin aluminium panels.
- Uncertified “lithium battery storage boxes”.
- Inappropriate use of EN 14470 lithium battery containers, which were designed for flammable liquids and gas, not Li-Ion batteries or internal thermal runaway events.
Key Point: The average tender garage is now holding 20 kWh of lithium batteries for toys, often charging simultaneously, in untested boxes, in confined, unventilated spaces. That’s not just unsafe, it’s an explosion waiting to happen.
Why Most “Marine Battery Fireproof Boxes” Don’t Work
Many containers sold as marine lithium battery storage containers have never been tested under real thermal runaway conditions. Others are certified only for UN transport, not for onboard lithium battery charging and storage. Some advertise vague fire resistance, but none provide:
- Gas filtration (critical for hydrogen fluoride and carbon monoxide).
- Blast overpressure relief valves (essential to prevent VCE, vapour cloud explosion).
- Rated storage capacity.
- Alarmed lithium battery box systems to notify crew before catastrophic failure.
That’s why LiVAULT has been working closely with Flag States, Lloyd’s Register, DMT TÜV Nord, and other marine safety experts to encourage a requirement for an agreed standard for superyacht lithium battery storage.
The Illusion of Safety: Misused Equipment and Outdated SOP’s
We regularly encounter marine setups using:
- “Battery fire suppression boxes” that can’t contain gas, explosion or cell projectiles.
- “Lithium Battery Boxes” that have no means of charging the battery is inside
- “Lithium battery charging boxes” for yachts with no thermal monitoring.
- “Fireproof battery bags” that are completely inadequate for packs above 100Wh.
- Confined tender garages filled with stackable “lithium battery boxes” with no certification or rating charging simultaneously.
Many of these containers give captains and crew a false sense of safety. Worse still, SOP’s often include dangerous instructions like manually removing burning batteries, relying on fire extinguishers and fire-blankets completely ignoring the toxic fumes, projectiles, and detonation risks.
The Real Hazards: Beyond Just Fire
The real threats from lithium-ion batteries on yachts are not just flames. At LiVAULT, we emphasise three under-reported dangers:
- Toxic Gas Release
Batteries emit lethal compounds including hydrogen, hydrogen fluoride several others. Without an proven filter in a battery box, these gases can kill in seconds inside a sealed compartment, either by gas inhalation or gas ignition. - Vapour Cloud Explosion (VCE)
Static discharge, opening a hatch, or even switching on a light can ignite accumulated gases. If you don’t have an explosion-proof battery storage container, you’re at real risk. - Thermal Propagation Between Packs
When batteries are stored without thermal separation, especially inside containers lacking cooling systems, temperature monitoring, or internal charging controls,one failure can cause a domino effect.
This is why we work with our manufacturing partner Fisacon – TechnoPhysik to bring to yachting sector our Lithium Battery Storage Boxes :
- RAMBSS lithium battery system (RACLAN MARITIME BATTERY STORAGE SYSTEM)
- RACLAN BOX
- SQUARE BOX – Superyacht Battery Box,
Offering active cooling, gas scrubbing, gas cooling, remote alarms, and certified blast resistance.
LiVAULT: Setting the New Standard in Marine Lithium Battery Safety
Our mission is to replace dangerously inadequate products and procedures with certified, Lithium Battery Storage Boxes designed specifically for the marine environment.
Here’s what makes a LiVAULT system different:
- Battery box with internal charging
- Temperature-monitored battery box with automated alert systems
- Integrated toxic gas filtration and overpressure relief
- Independently tested for thermal runaway containment by TÜV Nord, Germany
- Built for Superyacht deployment, with stackable, portable battery storage box options
We are supporting and encouraging the need for an agreed marine standard for lithium ion Battery Storage from classification societies such as Lloyd’s Register, flag states and insurance companies, which crew and fleet managers can trust and easily implement.
This Isn’t Hypothetical. It’s Happening Now.
We’ve already seen fires, explosions, and near-misses. It’s not a question of if, it’s when. The current mix of marketing hype, pseudo-certifications, and guesswork in lithium battery containment is putting crews and guests at unacceptable risk.
Superyachts need to move away from uncertainty in battery storage on yachts and toward an engineered, tested and certified Lithium Battery Storage Box.
Ready to Secure Your Vessel?
Explore our options for your Lithium Battery Storage Box, including the RACLAN lithium battery box and RAMBSS safety system, designed for modern yachts and tested for tomorrow’s risks.
Learn more at LiVault.com – or contact our team to assess your vessel’s current lithium-ion safety strategy.
