Network of Stand-by Oil Spill Response Vessels

maps oil vessels and RPAS 2024

EMSA has established a network of stand-by oil spill response vessels through contracts with commercial vessel operators. EMSA’s contracted vessels have been specifically adapted for oil spill response operations and are on stand-by, carrying out their usual commercial activities.

In the event of an oil spill, the selected vessel will cease its normal activities and will be made available to the requesting party fully-equipped for oil spill response services under established terms and conditions and tariffs. Following a request for assistance, the maximum time for the oil spill response vessel to be ready to sail is 24 hours.

Regardless of their area of commercial operations, all vessels in the EMSA network can be mobilised for response to an oil spill anywhere in European waters and shared sea basins.

Key Aspects of the Network

pollution response exercise

Each of EMSA’s contracted vessels has the following characteristics:

• Speed of 12 knots for prompt arrival on scene as well as low speed manoeuvrability for response operations
• On-board capability to decant excess water thereby maximising the use of on-board storage capacity
• Large storage capacity for recovered oil
• Ability to heat recovered cargo and use high capacity pumps to facilitate the discharging of heavy viscous oil mixtures to facilities ashore
• Oil slick detection system to facilitate the positioning of the vessel in the thicker oil slicks, and to enable operations at night.

All vessel arrangements comprise of two different containment and mechanical recovery options available for response operations depending on the weather conditions and type of pollutant:

• Sweeping arms;
• Ocean-going booms and an offshore skimmer (on certain vessels there are also high-capacity skimmers and weir booms available).

The average individual oil storage capacity of EMSA’s contracted vessels is in the region of 3 600 m³, while the total storage capacity of all the vessels in the network is around 60 000 m³.

In addition, as shown on the map above, some of the vessels also have on board:

• Seaborne dispersant spraying capability (seaborne dispersant application systems and dispersant stockpiles)

• Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) integrated on board for oil spill detection and surveillance (Type: Lockheed Martin Indago, vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) lightweight unmanned aerial system)

pollution response dispersants

Name Type Area of Operations /
Equipment Depot
Tank Capacity
[ m3 ]
Length
[ m ]
Equipment
Adelia Oil Tanker Central Mediterranean Sea/
Valleta, Malta
7309 94.00 Sweeping Arms
Boom
Skimmer
Slick Detection
Dispersant Application
System
Aegis Offshore Supply
Vessel
Aegean Sea /
Piraeus, Greece
935.84 59.25 Boom
Skimmer
Aktea OSRV Oil Tanker Aegean Sea /
Piraeus, Greece
3000 78.50 Sweeping Arms
Boom
Skimmer
Slick Detection
RPAS
Alexandria Oil Tanker Eastern Mediterranean /
Limassol, Cyprus
7431 94.00 Sweeping Arms
Boom
Skimmer
Slick Detection
Dispersant Application
System
RPAS
Amalthia Oil Tanker Black Sea /
Constanta, Romania
5154 91.40 Sweeping Arms
Boom
Skimmer
Slick Detection
RPAS
Bahia Tres Oil Tanker Atlantic Coast /
Sines, Portugal
7413 99.80 Sweeping Arms
Boom
Skimmer
Slick Detection
Dispersant Application
System
Brezzamare Oil Tanker Westerm Mediterranean /
Genoa, Italy
3288 77.96 Sweeping Arms
Boom
Skimmer
Slick Detection
Corrib Fisher Oil Tanker Atlantic Coast /
Cobh, Ireland
6248 107.00 Sweeping Arms
Boom
Skimmer
Slick Detection
DC Vlaanderen 3000 Hopper Dredger North Sea /
Ostend, Belgium
2744 89.20 Sweeping Arms
Boom
Skimmer
Slick Detection
Galaxy Eco Oil/Chemical Tanker Black Sea /
Varna, Bulgaria
2969 89.60 Sweeping Arms
Boom
Skimmer
Slick Detection
Dispersant Application
System
RPAS
Interballast 3 Hopper Dredger North Sea /
Ostend, Belgium
1886 65.40 Sweeping Arms
Boom
Skimmer
Slick Detection
Kijac Oil/ Chemical Tanker Adriatic Sea /
Rijeka, Croatia
1730 92.86 Sweeping Arms
Boom
Skimmer
Slick Detection
Dispersant Application
System
RPAS
Mencey Oil Tanker Canary Islands /
Las Palmas, Spain
From 3500
to 7270
109.54 Sweeping Arms
Boom
Skimmer
Slick Detection
Dispersant Application
System
RPAS
Mersey Fisher Oil Tanker Northern North Sea /
Sunderland, UK
5028 91.40 Sweeping Arms
Boom
Skimmer
Slick Detection
Monte Anaga Oil Tanker Mediterranean Sea /
Algeciras, Spain
4096 87.16 Sweeping Arms
Boom
Skimmer
Slick Detection
RPAS
Norden Oil Tanker Southern Baltic Sea /
Malmö, Sweden
2880 79.95 Sweeping Arms
Boom
Skimmer
Slick Detection
RPAS
Ria de Vigo Offshore Supply Vessel Bay of Biscay /
Vigo, Spain
1522 68.00 Sweeping Arms
Boom
Skimmer
Slick Detection
RPAS
VN Partisan Platform Supply Vessel Bay of Biscay /
Brest, France
1022 83.80 Sweeping Arms
Boom
Skimmer
Slick Detection
RPAS
SB Borea Oil Tanker Central Mediterranean /
Naples, Italy
3558 89.20 Sweeping Arms
Boom
Skimmer
Slick Detection