Improving response capacities and understanding the environmental impacts of new generation low sulphur MARine fuel Oil Spills

ended

"Successful oil spill response after ship incidents will reduce the impacts on the marine environment and socio economic impacts on affected coastal communities. Present changes in IMO regulations to reduce air emissions from ships have resulted in a ""new generation"" of fuel oils. These new fuel types may be challenging during accidental oil spills, and their behaviour after a spill are not well known. Laboratory and basin testing so far revealed a substantial diversity of the fuel oils with regard to physical and chemical properties, as well as toxicity. Practical experience is still scarce, but the experience from 2 ship incidents underlines the relevance for responders. A ship incident involving the new generation of oil, may result in severe impacts on the marine and coastal environment with subsequent challenges for responders, since it might be difficult to recover the oil with conventional oil spill response equipment and methods. This project aims to bring together knowledge and experiences from different countries in the UCPM. The project will identify the most relevant products of the new generation of fuel oils used by ships in Europe. These oils will be analysed to identify different characteristics. Furthermore, the suitability of different response technologies and methods for spills of these new products will be identified through practical tests of equipment. The overall aim is to develop recommendations for oil spill response involving the new generation of fuel oils. This includes capacities and methods for response at sea as well as on shorelines. This will enable the participating states of the UCPM to invest in the most proper equipment and gain knowledge about the best possible methods within oil spill response when it comes to this new generation of oil. An effective at sea response will also reduce the amount of oil, which will reach the shorelines. The results may contribute to the development of more environmentally friendly marine fuels."