Oil spill response and recovery of Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO)

A Ro-Ro Vessel had a loss of approximately 100 litres of HFO as a result of an accidental release while bunkering during the hours of darkness. Ambipar Response are an accredited marine Oil Spill Response Organisation (OSRO) contracted to Belfast Harbour, Ambipar were requested by Belfast Harbour to respond to this incident and complete a spill assessment followed by an oil recovery operation. A critical area of the ports operations had been contaminated resulting in the need for a quick response to mitigate against the impacts to both the operational requirements of the Harbour and to minimise the damage to the environment.

Project Works:

Ambipar Response were mobilised by Belfast Harbour as their tier 2 OSRO. Once On-site an initial spill assessment was carried out to identify site hazards, PPE requirements for response personnel and to identify environmental receptors that could be impact as a result of the spill. The HFO had contaminated approximately three hundred meters of the quayside including two fenders at a ferry berth. The HFO had solidified on both the quay and fenders and required manual recovery assisted with high pressure washing. Ambipar Response acted quickly to initiate the recovery phase; the tactic utilised was to use absorbent booms to provide containment and collect any deposits of HFO that fell into the water, scrapping off heavy deposits of HFO manually followed by high pressure washing for a final polish.

Hazardous waste generated during the recovery phase was double-bagged to minimise the risk of leakage before being placed into open top Intermediate Bulk Carriers (IBC’s), the IBC’s not only provide a suitable container for onward transport but also act as a bund, further reducing the risk of secondary contamination. Post oil recovery Ambipar completed a decontamination process of all contaminated equipment and PPE. Ambipar consulted with the Harbour and Environmental Regulator on completion of the works to ensure a satisfactory conclusion before providing a post spill report in the following days.

Results:

• On-site within 60 minutes of initial notification to carry out spill assessment.

• Complete team and equipment on-site and operational within 90 minutes of initial notification.

• Successful oil recovery.

• Client maintained operational capabilities.

• Minimal damage to the environment.

• An on-scene commander on site to liaise with the client and Environmental regulator.

• Waste managed effectively to prevent secondary contamination.

• Site and equipment decontaminated to prevent secondary contamination.

• Post Spill report completed to provide evidence and recommendations to be included in the Oil Spill Contingency Plan.