Municipal authorities in Busan, home of South Korea’s busiest container port, have chosen the design and development of a “smart” container, which can transport batteries safely, following increasing publicity about the dangers of carrying lithium batteries in containers.

Busan authorities will work on the so-called Battery Safe Transport Smart Container and its system technology development with South Korea’s largest container manufacturer, Vesta, pallet rental company Korea Pallet Pool and Busan Techno Park.

The parties propose a design featuring fire insulation and flame retardancy, sensors and shock protection, alongside the development of a blockchain-based transport information system.

The number of battery shipments has been rapidly increasing in tandem with rising demand for electric vehicles. However, lithium batteries, especially, have been known to burst into flames, causing port authorities and ship operators to require such cargo to be declared as dangerous goods.