Call for Comments IEC 63462-1 Maritime Battery Systems – safety requirements.
IEC (the International Electrotechnical Commission) is developing a safety standard for maritime batteries. A draft is currently being circulated for comments, called IEC 63462-1 Maritime Battery Systems – safety requirements.
The standard aims to establish minimum safety requirements for maritime lithium BESS, and provides a framework for addressing risks arising from the maritime environment or from reasonably foreseeable abuse. It builds on an existing standard, IEC 62619 Safety requirements for lithium batteries in industrial applications, but adapts the approach specifically for maritime risks and hazards. Examples are the presence of humidity, salt, pollution, vibrations, earth faults, and other conditions present onboard vessels. The standard proposes that the battery manufacturer addresses these risks in the product design and documentation.
The intention is to provide a unified method for managing and documenting all known risks without placing an unreasonable burden on the suppliers. Certain risks are addressed by prescriptive requirements, e.g. minimum IP44 rating, short circuit testing, and requirements for cable insulation. However, most hazards shall be managed by a risk-based approach. The aim is to require from the BESS manufacturer which hazards are mitigated at product level, and which must be managed during design and installation. The standard also introduces reliability requirements for certain safety features.
MBF members are encouraged to read and comment on it. The table of contents and introduction can be found here by clicking the link below, but to read the entire document and provide feedback, you must become a member of your national IEC committee. Follow this link* to contact your national committee, and request to join Technical Committee 18 for commenting on the maritime battery safety standard. The deadline for voting and commenting is 16/01/2025.
If all goes well, the standard will be published by end of 2026. Once published, it can be adopted by the industry as a basis for safe product design and documentation.
