The OVERHEAT project validates advanced safety solutions on container ships

The demonstration event was organized by Fundación Valenciaport, in collaboration with the Provincial Firefighters Consortium of Valencia, Intersagunto Terminales, and the Port Authority of Valencia

The drill validated the use of IoT thermal sensors and autonomous drones as key tools for early detection and effective emergency management in port environments

Valencia, 17 February 2026.- This morning, the validation demonstration of the maritime safety innovation project OVERHEAT took place at the facilities of Intersagunto Terminales. This European initiative proposes advanced technological solutions to prevent and manage fires on board container ships.

The exercise, coordinated by Fundación Valenciaport in collaboration with the Provincial Firefighters Consortium of Valencia, Intersagunto – a Grupo Alonso terminal – and the Port Authority of Valencia, consisted of a simulated fire in a container located in a real operational environment. The aim was to verify the effectiveness of the intelligent detection systems developed within the framework of the project.

Technology applied in a real environment

During the demonstration, two separate tests were carried out within a designated area in the terminal yard. First, a controlled fire was ignited inside a container positioned at the base of a three-tier stack. The IoT sensors installed in the ventilation ducts detected the fire, automatically triggering the alarm and prompting the intervention of the firefighting team.

The second part of the drill evaluated the performance of the autonomous drones. These devices carried out a scheduled patrol and, thanks to their cameras, identified the presence of smoke outside the cargo, generating a new alert and capturing images of the fire from different perspectives to be transmitted in real time to the command center.

Overheat Project

The OVERHEAT project (Innovative Strategies for Containership Fires Prevention and Management) is coordinated by the Italian Maritime Academy (IMAT) and includes the participation of Fundación Valenciaport and the Provincial Firefighters Consortium, among other international partners. The initiative has a budget of over €7 million, co-financed by the Horizon Europe programme through the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA).

OVERHEAT aims to develop innovative solutions to reduce the incidence of fires on container ships, mitigate the impact of such incidents on crews and coastal communities, and minimize the risk of secondary accidents such as collisions or groundings resulting from onboard emergencies.

The project also seeks to introduce automated systems that help reduce the influence of human error in navigation, with particular attention to operations in environmentally sensitive areas.

With this drill, OVERHEAT advances the validation of technological tools that could mark a turning point in the safety of maritime freight transport.