Salvors want silver-standard ports of refuge 

Port of refuge options 

A potential port of refuge would need information on the distressed ship before agreeing to accept its arrival.

“A potential port would need to know what is in the cargo and what is on fire,” said D3 Consulting director Martin Bjerregaard.

“Distressed cargo is not waste until it is discarded,” he added. “Then, ports need to find routes for recycling and energy recovery so there is less disposal.”

He said stakeholder engagement and preparation work is needed, which can be challenging and take a lot of time before getting acceptance for refuge.

If a distressed ship requires a port of refuge in the Indian Ocean or southern Atlantic, it could be towed to Jebel Ali in the United Arab Emirates, where the authorities have set up a dedicated harbour for salvage, damaged cargo offloading and waste disposal, but it is costly.

Mr Bjerregaard said Jebel Ali would deal with authorities, agencies and stakeholders to prepare the harbour as a port of refuge.

Brookes Bell director for Europe, Adrian Scales, said Jebel Ali is “a good port of refuge” for dealing with distressed ships. “Jebel Ali is the gold standard, a Rolls-Royce port,” he said.

“There are some other options that cost less, but it would be challenging to get ships to those locations,” Mr Scales added.

“We need a silver standard, a middle ground with enough to cover our requirements but less expensive than the gold standard.”

Three or four ports dedicated to supporting salvage and dealing with distressed ships are needed in strategic locations worldwide.

“Ports should be identified globally for refuge and waste management, and be ready for when there is a casualty,” said Mr Scales.

“They could handle distressed ships and cargo, understand the problems and provide solutions. A port taking a distressed, salvaged ship would benefit financially.

“It would help the local economy and provide a legacy of future income streams. What is a short-term challenge would become a medium-term gain.” 

Emergency towage issues 

Once a fire is extinguished and the vessel is secured, it will need to be towed to a safe location, which can be challenging.

One issue is that salvors may not know what cargo is on board, especially if the manifest is incorrect or misdeclared.

“A second issue is that fire water may have changed the nature of the cargo, which could create much more waste,” said Mr Scales. This could make it harder to find a port.

Marine Masters owner and director Henk Smith said fire-fighting water and foam could be trapped in internal compartments, such as the engineroom, on a distressed ship, which could impact its stability and cause more waste.

“We need to deal with contaminated water,” he said. “We can decant water from the vessel.” It can be lightered onto a tank barge or tanker in a similar method to removing fuel from a grounded ship.

A salvor then needs to consider “what to do with the cargo, as it needs to get to shore. This can be a nightmare,” said Mr Smith.

Salvors need to deal with the waste and pollutants, depending on the situation and location. “There could be different types of waste,” he said.

“If there is a lot of contaminated water, a salvor may need to hire a tanker to discharge into.”

Then a ship could be ready for its emergency tow to a refuge harbour. But “a longhaul tow may not be practical to a designated port of refuge due to weather, sea conditions and the structure of the ship,” said Mr Smith.

If a ship does get to a port of refuge, and its cargo and waste are discharged, then there could be value for what remains.

“There could be value in the structure for reuse, refurbishment or as an artificial reef; it creates a legacy,” said Mr Smith.