Salvors Prevent 2.6M Tonnes Of Hazardous Cargo Pollution

201
Credit: kinsey-unsplash

“We are all now so much more aware of, and careful about, the environment,” says ISU president Nicholas Sloane.

“But we all need shipping, and incidents like the Suez Canal blockage [by Ever Given in March 2021] demonstrated that reliance. 

Insurance industries recognise

“The shipping and insurance industries recognise their responsibilities and the importance of maintaining their ‘licence to operate’ and the availability of emergency response services is a critical part of meeting those responsibilities,” says Capt Sloane, who is also Resolve Marine group director for Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Amount of pollutants

“The number of services fell last year, and each year there can be significant variations of the quantities of pollutants in each category. But overall, the amount of pollutants has stayed consistent,” he clarifies.

Most significant category

“The number of containers is lower than last year but, after bulk cargo, still represents the most significant category. It compares with 141,000 tonnes of crude oil, confirming the shift over the past decades as oil trades have become safer.”

Greater danger to the marine

Capt Sloane discusses the greater danger to the marine environment from containers and the hazards of not knowing the contents of those that go overboard.

“Boxes stuffed with harmful and dangerous goods including plastic pellets (nurdles) represent one of the biggest threats to the marine environment,” he says. “They are potentially very damaging and, with the added issue of misdeclaration of contents, dangerous to deal with.” 

Bulk cargoes

Cargoes of refined oil products in ISU 2022’s numbers were similar to crude oil at 144,808 tonnes, a 21% fall compared with 2021.

Bulk cargoes saved includes coal, scrap steel, grains, soya and cement.

Emergency response increase

Different bulk cargoes are not included as potential pollutants but were still saved as ISU members provided services to bulkers carrying 113,926 tonnes of non-hazardous dry bulk – mainly metal ores.

As ships requiring emergency response increase in size, so do the bunkers saved, with ISU members handling 11 cases with more than 2,000 tonnes of bunkers on board and total bunkers involved were 108,112 tonnes.

Vital services

“The environment, social and governance agenda is so important for shipowners and insurers, and we need to ensure the capability and willingness of commercial salvors to provide vital services around the world is valued and not eroded,” says Capt Sloane.

Marine services contracts

The 186 services in 2022 included 12 wreck removal/marine services contracts; 16 Lloyd’s Open Forms; 38 towage contracts; 4 Japanese forms; 4 lump sum, 5-day rate contracts; 84 other contracts (including commercial terms and common law salvage) and 23 Turkish forms.

Did you subscribe to our daily Newsletter?

It’s Free! Click here to Subscribe!

Source: Rivieram

LEAVE A REPLY