ISU members handle more containers

FROM BULK TO BOXES

SALVAGE • SEVERAL HIGH PROFILE ACCIDENTS LAST YEAR INVOLVING CONTAINERSHIPS ARE REFLECTED IN ISU’S ANNUAL SURVEY OF ITS MEMBERS’ POLLUTION PREVENTION SERVICES

LAST YEAR SAW a dramatic shift in the maritime salvage world, with a sharp decline in the number of casualties carrying polluting liquid in bulk and a dramatic surge in the number of containerships in trouble. Members of the International Salvage Union (ISU) handled 226 casualties, compared to 191 in 2020, with the aggregate cargo tonnage involved rising slightly from 2.5m tonnes to 2.6m tonnes.

Within that, though, the volume of crude oil involved in salvage events fell from just over 360,000 tonnes in 2020 to just 103,400 tonnes, although there was an increase in refined products cases, while the volume of bulk

THE GROUNDING OF EVER GIVEN IN THE SUEZ CANAL

WAS JUST ONE OF SEVERAL INCIDENTS INVOLVING

CONTAINERSHIPS DEALT WITH BY ISU MEMBERS

chemicals involved also dropped sharply, from 133,150 tonnes in 2020 to 24,125 tonnes. The volume of polluting or hazardous bulk cargoes was also well down, falling by 43 per cent to 424,700 tonnes.

Where ISU members were particularly active was in dealing with containerised cargo; they handled 1.56m TEU in 2021, more than three times the 502,850 TEU that were dealt with in 2020.

Among the services offered, 11 casualty responses involved vessels with more than 2,000 tonnes of bunker fuel onboard; the total volume of bunkers amounted to almost 90,000 tonnes, although this again was slightly down on last year’s total of close to 112,000 tonnes.

The figures are taken from ISU’s annual pollution prevention survey, which has been running since 1994 to gauge the impact of the Union’s members on preventing marine pollution. “The most eye-catching number in these results is for containers,” notes Capt Nicholas Sloane, elected president of ISU this past November. “ISU members provided services to vessels carrying more than 100,000 TEU amounting to more than 1.5m tonnes of cargo. The mixed nature of such cargoes – including dangerous goods, harmful chemicals, plastic pellets – means that they are potentially highly polluting and difficult and dangerous to deal with.”

PLAYING A PART “The shipping industry knows only too well that it is under the spotlight for its environmental performance: both for the environmental impact of operating ships and for the threat they, and their cargo, present to the environment,” says Capt Sloane. “All casualties have the potential to develop into serious incidents and, in a world where even the smallest amount of pollution is unacceptable, the work of our members is essential.

“Shipowners and insurers are increasingly under pressure to demonstrate their Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) credentials and, where engaged, ISU members play an important role in helping them to meet their environmental obligations and demonstrate their commitment,” Capt Sloane continues. “Continued global provision of the professional salvage services offered by members of the ISU is essential.”

The provision of those services rests on salvors receiving sufficient income to maintain the assets needed to deal promptly with a casualty, regardless of where in the world it takes place. ISU members regard the Lloyd’s Open Form (LOF) as the best means of ensuring remuneration, although only 26 services were carried out under LOF terms last year.

ISU stresses that not all of the pollutants involved in salvage operations are in immediate risk of going into the sea; some cases represent a relatively limited danger, though many others carry a real risk of causing substantial environmental damage. As Capt Sloane notes, the issue of plastic pellets has suddenly emerged as a hot topic and will be something that salvors will have to bear in mind in future response activity. www.marine-salvage.com