Maritime Electrification
Sep 17, 2026Digital & Product Solutions / MobilityWhy Battery Testing Is Becoming a Critical Enabler of Safe and Sustainable Shipping
The electric ship is no longer a vision for the distant future. Ferries are already crossing short routes on battery power, inland vessels are adopting electric propulsion, and hybrid systems are making their way into commercial and leisure vessels. Behind this shift is a technology that is changing the way ships are designed, operated and approved: the battery.
As maritime electrification gathers pace, lithium-ion batteries are becoming an increasingly important part of the marine energy mix. They can reduce emissions, improve efficiency, support onboard power distribution and open the door to new propulsion concepts. But putting large battery systems on board also introduces a different set of risks.
At sea, there is little room for error. That makes battery testing a central part of the transition to electric shipping.
Electric Ships Bring a New Safety Challenge
A battery installation on a ship faces conditions that are very different from those found in a land-based energy storage system. Vibration and mechanical shock are part of everyday operation. Humidity and saltwater can be relentless. Electrical faults can have serious consequences, while a thermal event inside a battery system can quickly become a major safety issue in a confined vessel.
There is another factor that makes maritime applications particularly demanding: the ship cannot simply pull over when something goes wrong. Therefore, a battery failure at sea can have significant consequences for passenger and crew safety, vessel operations and asset protection.
For battery manufacturers and shipbuilders, this means demonstrating that battery systems can safely withstand the demanding maritime environment throughout their intended operating conditions. Testing has to look beyond basic electrical performance and examine how the complete system responds to mechanical, environmental, electrical and electromagnetic stresses.
Depending on the applicable requirements, testing may cover areas such as thermal behavior, vibration and shock, electrical safety, environmental conditions, electromagnetic compatibility and protection against fault conditions.
As battery systems become larger and more complex, testing is increasingly becoming an integral part of the approval pathway, not simply a final validation step. For manufacturers, addressing these requirements early can help reduce approval risks and avoid delays later in the development process.
The Role of Classification Societies
Compliance in the maritime sector is strongly influenced by classification societies such as Lloyd’s Register, DNV, RINA and Bureau Veritas (BV). These organizations translate International Maritime Organization (IMO) requirements into detailed approval rules and testing protocols for ships and onboard equipment.
While each classification society maintains its own rule set, requirements for lithium-ion batteries are broadly aligned and typically built upon established battery standards such as IEC 62619, IEC 62620 and IEC 63056.
For battery manufacturers, successful market entry depends not only on meeting technical requirements, but also on demonstrating compliance through an approval process involving multiple stakeholders. Understanding these requirements early can help manufacturers plan testing more effectively and avoid delays later in the approval process.
The Emergence of IEC 63462-1
To help streamline and harmonize the approval testing of batteries, stakeholders including the IMO, classification societies and industry are working on a new IEC safety standard, IEC 63462-1.
The standard is intended to address battery safety at system level for maritime applications. Rather than replacing existing battery standards, it is designed to complement them with requirements specific to the marine environment and approval process.
IEC 63462-1 is currently in its final draft stage and is expected to be published by the end of 2026. Its introduction could help improve consistency between approval schemes while providing manufacturers with a clearer framework for demonstrating compliance.
The Role of Independent Testing Laboratories
Although final approval is granted by the relevant classification society, independent testing laboratories play an important role in the approval process. Battery manufacturers increasingly rely on accredited laboratories to perform the extensive safety, environmental, mechanical, electrical and EMC testing required to demonstrate compliance. In many cases, test reports issued by accredited laboratories can be accepted by classification societies without requiring them to directly witness every test activity.
This approach can help manufacturers streamline the approval process while providing confidence in the reliability and integrity of the test results.
With expertise spanning both the automotive and industrial battery sectors, DEKRA supports manufacturers in addressing these testing and compliance challenges as maritime battery technologies move toward commercialization.
From Battery Innovation to Safe Deployment
The transition toward maritime electrification is already underway. As battery-powered and hybrid vessels become more widespread, demonstrating the safety and reliability of their battery systems will be essential to ensuring that new technologies can be deployed safely and reliably at scale.
Therefore, independent testing and certification have an important role to play, not only in demonstrating compliance, but also in supporting the broader adoption of maritime battery technologies and building confidence among manufacturers, vessel operators and other industry stakeholders.
DEKRA supports battery manufacturers and other stakeholders with validation, testing and certification services across the automotive, industrial and consumer sectors, and with a global network of experts and laboratories worldwide.