NORRÖNA © Smyril Line

NORRÖNA Leads with Innovative Brine-Based System to Combat EV Fires at Sea

FerryEV-related fires, like the MORNING MIDAS blaze, challenge the maritime industry. A new brine-based firefighting system by Skansi Offshore and KNUD E. HANSEN offers a simple, eco-friendly solution. It’s operational on Smyril Line's NORRÖNA, the world’s longest ro-pax route, and planned for two new ro-ro vessels.

Unlike traditional fire suppression methods, which act externally and often fail to extinguish the core fire, the brine system targets the battery directly from inside the vehicle. In a fire event, one window is penetrated, and cold, saturated brine is delivered into the cabin. This allows the fluid to pool around the battery compartment, rapidly cooling the cells, limiting oxygen exposure, suppressing flammable materials, and even short-circuiting and depowering the battery.

“We believe this system sets a new standard. It’s low-tech in the best way—reliable, proven, and easily maintainable. Most importantly, it addresses the real issue: HEAT—not just the flames, but the fire inside the battery.”
– Finn Wollesen, Managing Director, KNUD E. HANSEN USA Inc.

Proven Performance

In a full-scale fire test conducted in the Faroe Islands, the system extinguished a fully developed EV fire in under one hour, including response time. In contrast, lithium-ion battery fires often burn for 24 hours or more when left to self-extinguish and can reignite multiple times.

“Most systems act externally. Ours delivers cold brine inside the car, as close to the battery pack as possible. It cools, displaces flammable gases, and helps short-circuit and depower the battery. The high salinity also absorbs heat efficiently and limits fire spread. It’s an elegant way to break the thermal runaway process before it escalates.”
– Frederik Jonassen, Lead Engineer, Brine System

Key Advantages

Direct internal cooling of the EV—not just external suppression
Prevents thermal runaway by targeting heat at the source
Short-circuits and depowers the battery
Uses only natural ingredients: salt and water
No toxins, no pressure, no chemical residues
Compatible with standard fire hoses and couplings
Cost-effective, refillable, and environmentally friendly
Can be retrofitted on existing ro-ro and ro-pax vessels with minimal modification

The System