The Cargo Incident Notification System (CINS) explains that charcoal is a widely used material for various purposes, including cooking, heating, and industrial processes and it is often transported in shipping containers. The carriage of charcoal in containers poses significant fire risks due to the potential for self-heating and spontaneous ignition.
Charcoal is described in the IMDG Code as “Black material originating from organic sources. Particularly includes carbon blacks, of animal or vegetable origin other non-activated carbon materials and charcoal produced from materials such as bone, and bamboo, coconut shell, jute and wood.”
It is estimated that global production of charcoal for domestic and export markets is over 50 million tonnes per year. From the incident records created by CINS members, it is known that there were at least 68 fire incidents on board ships during the period between January 2015 and December 2022. These CINS data are incomplete, but have exclusively involved consignments of charcoal that were produced to be a used as a fuel intended for burning. Most of these incidents also arose from consignments that had been misdeclared and therefore the carrier was not aware of the hazards presented.
The practices set out in this guidance document are intended to improve safety during the carriage of charcoal and to ensure that it is properly prepared, declared, packaged and carried.
Factors contributing to the carriage of charcoal in containers risk include improper packaging, inadequate ventilation, and failure to adhere to International Maritime Organisation (IMO) regulation of Dangerous cargo as codified in the IMDG Code.
CINS in conjunction with the International Group of P&I Clubs and the TT Club has released comprehensive guidelines for the carriage of charcoal in containers. The guidelines include a description of the risks involved in carriage of charcoal, the relevant provisions of the IMDG code, recommendations for container selection, requirements for packing, container stowage and segregation and documentation.
Download the guidance CINS charcoal guidance