Emergency towage tugs and salvage companies saved 214 vessels from danger in 2019 and prevented environmental pollution worldwide
Shipping has improved its safety record with fewer ship groundings and vessels in peril, but the industry should not become complacent in its need for salvors.
Less ships are encountering issues during voyages and dockings, causing less pollution and placing fewer lives at risk. These trends are underlined by the latest data from the International Salvage Union (ISU) on the volume of potential pollution saved from the environment through swift emergency response in 2019.
In total, ISU members serviced 214 vessels in 2019, down from 224 in 2018 and 252 ships in 2017. This represents a 15% fall in required salvage services in two years, but, is similar to the number of vessels assisted (216) in 2016.
ISU actions prevented 2.3M tonnes of potential pollutants from entering the environment in 2019. This was a 32% reduction from 3.4M tonnes in 2017, and down from 3.2M tonnes in 2018. It is also lower than 2.7M tonnes in 2016.
This data come from ISU’s Annual Pollution Prevention Survey for operations in 2019, versus other years.
ISU highlighted fewer crude tankers encountering trouble in 2019 compared with 2018 as one reason for reduced potential pollution in 2019. One or two very large crude carrier cases can have a significant impact on the overall numbers. Crude oil pollution prevention through salvage operations in 2019 was 400,000 tonnes, compared to 978,000 tonnes in 2018.
ISU president Richard Janssen says the lower pollution risk is good for shipping but warns against complacency as there will always be risk and a need for salvor services.
“ISU members deliver services that save life and property but as the results of this survey show so clearly, our members’ operations also protect the environment from great harm,” says Mr Janssen.
“The numbers, when compared with other years, also show the variability of our industry,” he comments.
In 2019, around 43%, or 961,061 tonnes of potential pollution was classed as bulk polluting/hazardous cargo, up from 743,100 tonnes in 2018 and down from 1.4M tonnes in 2017.
This category includes products such as grains, coal, scrap steel, soya and cement. Several bulk cargoes are not included as potential pollutants. ISU members also provided services to bulkers carrying 229,731 tonnes of non-hazardous dry bulk, mainly metal ores, in 2019, down from 497,973 tonnes in 2018.
The volume of refined oil product cargoes that were saved from polluting fell in 2019 to 278,046 tonnes compared with 324,988 tonnes in 2019.
“We are always transparent with these numbers,” says Mr Janssen. “We know that not all of these potential pollutants were at risk of going into the sea.”
Some cases will have had limited danger, but, “many others will have carried a real risk of substantial environmental damage” Mr Janssen explains.
ISU members also prevented containerised cargo pollution. Its survey demonstrated a fall in the number of containers involved in ISU members’ services in 2019, down to 25,799 TEU, which equates to 386,985 tonnes, using a nominal 15 tonnes per TEU. This is a 57% reduction in containers compare with the 2018 figure, which was 59,874 TEU and 898,110 tonnes.
Mr Janssen notes the growing importance of pollution prevention in salvage operations.
“It is essential that there continues to be global provision of expert salvage services to respond to maritime emergencies”
“Attitudes to the natural world have changed dramatically in recent years and the environment is now at the centre of political and business decision making,” he says
“It is essential there continues to be global provision of expert salvage services to respond to maritime emergencies,” says Mr Janssen.
“In most cases, it is only the professional salvors, members of the ISU, who have the experience and equipment to make those interventions and prevent environmental catastrophes,” he adds.
Bunker fuel volumes saved from polluting environments remain consistent at 115,811 tonnes in 2019, compared with 111,796 tonnes the previous year. However, a number of services noted within the ISU total did not record the quantity of bunkers on the vessel or the cargo type.
There was also a significant reduction in chemicals in these potential pollutants, just 70,944 tonnes in 2019, compared with 127,885 tonnes in 2018 and 168,784 tonnes in 2017.
Contract types
Of the 214 vessels rescued by salvors in 2019, Lloyd’s Open Form (LOF), which is favoured by salvage companies, was used for just 29 services, representing 13% of the total. The largest number of salvage operations, 73 services, was conducted on day rate contracts.
While 36 were on towage contracts, 19 on wreck removal arrangements and 12 on fixed price and lump sum services – all these are favoured by shipping companies and insurers. There were also eight services completed on Japanese Form and 7 on Turkish Form (variants on LOF). Other contracts were used in 31 services.
ISU started this annual survey in 1994. Since then, ISU members have provided services to casualty vessels carrying 33.7M tonnes of potential pollutants, an average of more than 1M tonnes per year.
ISU pollution prevention survey results (tonnes)
2019 |
2018 |
2017 |
2016 |
|
Bulk cargo |
961,061 |
743,100 |
1,418,344 |
859,531 |
Crude oil |
400,000 |
978,000 |
798,620 |
705,148 |
Containers* |
386,985 |
898,110 |
684.825 |
318,360 |
Refined oil products |
278,046 |
324,988 |
134,488 |
544,742 |
Bunker fuel |
115,811 |
111,796 |
135,995 |
89,492 |
Chemicals |
70,944 |
127,885 |
168,784 |
109,864 |
Other products |
95,909 |
29,346 |
64,421 |
56,762 |
Total |
2,308,756 |
3,213,228 |
3,405,477 |
2,683,899 |
Number of services |
214 |
224 |
252 |
213 |
Number of containers (TEU) |
25,799 |
59,874 |
45,665 |
21,224 |
*These estimates are based on a nominal weight of 15 tonnes/TEU
© 2023 Riviera Maritime Media Ltd.