Salvage sector sees environment protection role after Ukraine conflict abates

ONE casualty of war is normally the environment and sadly, it looks like salvors will have environmental protection work to do in the Black Sea and Sea of Azov once hostilities eventually cease. Very little information is available about how many ships have been damaged or wrecked so far during the conflict but there certainly have been at least a few.

The war in Ukraine does not feature prominently in the latest edition of Salvage World, the International Salvage Union's (ISU) latest newsletter. However, demonstrating no sector is immune from its knock-on effects, the ISU said: "ISU is a non-political organisation but, like many other trade associations in the shipping industry and wider, the Executive Committee has considered the membership of the association of its Russian member, MRS/MORSPAS, in the context of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and has suspended that membership."

Explaining its decision, the ISU said it had "taken account of the relationship of MRS to the Russian state; the widespread international condemnation of Russia's actions and the imposition of strong sanctions against certain Russian interests by, among others, the EU, the United States, Japan and the UK".

The salvors' organisation added that it hoped hostilities would cease as soon as possible, and that peace would return to the region. Whether relationships within the ISU, and indeed the several other shipping organisations that have taken similar action, can easily return to the status quo must be open to question.

Equally uncertain must be who will get the job of clearing wreckage from the ravaged region's ports. Doing so will be important to their commercial revival but, as already noticed, will also be crucial in protecting the environment, which in a wider context is definitely something the ISU wishes to emphasise.

The organisation has just published its Annual Pollution Prevention Survey for operations in 2021. This showed that during the year, ISU members had provided 226 services to vessels carrying 2.6 million tonnes of potentially polluting cargo and fuel. It makes the point that the figures demonstrate the "critical role of professional salvors in protecting the marine environment".

The ISU's president, Captain Nicholas Sloane, said: "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. 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."

He added: "The most eye-catching number in these results is for containers. ISU members provided services to vessels carrying more than 100,000 TEU amounting to more than 1.5 million tonnes of cargo. The mixed nature of such cargoes - including dangerous goods, harmful chemicals, and plastic pellets - means that they are potentially highly polluting and difficult and dangerous to deal with." That TEU figure roughly equates to 1.5 million tonnes of cargo of all types.

The ISU made it clear that not all these potential pollutants were at immediate risk of going into the sea. It noted in the newsletter: "Some cases will have had limited danger, but many others will have carried a real risk of causing substantial environmental damage.

"Shipowners and insurers are increasingly under pressure to demonstrate their ESG credentials (Environmental, Social and Governance)."

Capt. Sloane added: "Where engaged, ISU members play an important role in helping them to meet their environmental obligations and demonstrate their commitment. Continued global provision of the professional salvage services offered by members of the ISU is essential."

Diving into the ISU's statistics, crude oil cargo was relatively low in 2021 at 103,408 tonnes, while cargoes of refined oil products rose to 182,232 tonnes. Chemical cargoes fell significantly to 24,126 tonnes in 2021.

Bulk cargoes decreased significantly to 424,719 tonnes in 2021 compared to 744,246 tonnes last time. This category includes products such as coal, scrap steel, grains, soya and cement. A number of bulk cargoes are not included as potential pollutants and ISU members also provided services to bulkers carrying 209,475 tonnes of non-hazardous dry bulk - mainly metal ores.

The ISU survey found that 11 cases had more than 2,000 tonnes of bunkers on board, and the total tonnage of bunkers involved was 89,456 tonnes. However, an increased number of the services noted did not record the quantity of bunkers or the cargo type.

Unfortunately, next year's survey (or perhaps the one after that) is likely to record significantly more salvage operations involving bulk carriers and bunkers due to the current conflict. The vast majority of vessels trapped and at risk off Ukraine are bulk carriers.

While demand for salvage services has decreased over the years, the need for an effective global network of skilled salvors remains. Last year's Ever Given incident and the temporary closure of the Suez Canal was a stark reminder of just that.