Itopf News

Stolt Tankers’ Managing Director, Maren Schroeder has joined the board of ITOPF Limited, a not-for-profit organization specializing in preparedness for and response to accidental marine spills.“I am pleased to be able to contribute to this very important area in my new role as director at ITOPF,” said Schroeder, who will fulfil her ITOPF duties alongside her role at Stolt Tankers. “Sharing insights from the experience of Stolt Tankers will not only enhance ITOPF’s knowledge of our market segment…

The International Group of Protection and Indemnity Clubs (IGP&I) has set out its Sustainability report and updated Correspondents Guidelines to the global network of Protection and Indemnity (P&I) Correspondents listed by its constituent Clubs during its 2022 Correspondents Conference in London, United Kingdom. Both frameworks seek to leverage the collective strength of the IGP&I’s 13-member Clubs and the 65,000 ship owners they represent to further enhance sustainability, safety and best practice across the marine industry.As a forum for its member clubs…

Webb Institute announced on Wednesday that Mark Martecchini will become the 16th president in the school's history, effective July 1, 2022. Selected by a Webb Board of Trustee search committee Martecchini will succeed R. Keith Michel who has served as Webb’s president for the past nine years.Board of Trustees chair Bruce S. Rosenblatt, said, “[Martecchini] is a visionary leader who is passionate about the mission of Webb Institute and is committed to building upon our 130-year history of excellence in engineering education.” During a 38-year career with Stolt-Nielsen…

Clean-up crews worked on Wednesday to contain an oil spill in the Yellow Sea near the Chinese port city of Qingdao, a day after a tanker carrying around a million barrels of bitumen mix collided with a bulk vessel.While a preliminary study by Chinese maritime officials estimated about 500 tonnes (3,420 barrels) of oil had been spilled, it was still unclear as to the how much had been emptied into the sea.Here are some facts about oil spills and their impact on the environment.Types of spillsSpills typically involve two forms of oils…

The ongoing oil pollution incident from the grounded 203,000 DWT bulk carrier MV Wakashio is threatening an ecological catastrophe around the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius, endangering corals, fish and other marine life already under threat from climate change (IPCC 2018).In addition, it risks bringing devastating consequences for the economy, food security, health and tourism industry. Tourism in Mauritius - a popular destination for its pristine beaches - reportedly contributed about $1.6 billion to its economy during the last year…

Tanker owners’ group International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation (ITOPF) selected Erik Hanell President & CEO of Stena Bulk, as its new Chairman.After eight years, former Euronav chief executive Paddy Rodgers has stepped down as ITOPF chairman.Rodgers noted that he had thoroughly enjoyed his tenure on the board and had valued the opportunity to contribute to ITOPF’s strategic direction and to the work of its highly regarded international team.The board voted unanimously to appoint Erik Hånell as its new Chairman, said a press release.Erik has served on ITOPF’s board for the last 7 years and is also on the board of Skuld P&I Club.ITOPF’s Managing Director…

The International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation (ITOPF) is currently on-site in north-east Brazil attending the recent oil spill that has contaminated approximately 2,500 km of coastline in nine states.The source of the pollution remains unknown, although the Brazilian government has recently reported that they suspect a tanker passing along its coast in late July as being the polluter."Our involvement was requested directly by IBAMA, the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources, on 16th September 2019, a couple of weeks after oil was first spotted washing up on shore," the not-for-profit marine ship pollution response advisers said.ITOPF is normally requested on-site by a shipowner or their insurer…

Patrick (Paddy) Rodgers, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Belgium's tanker shipping company Euronav, has decided to step down from his role during 2019 after 18 years of service.However,  he will remain in his position until a successor is appointed, said a press note from the tanker owner.Paddy Rodgers, CEO of Euronav said: “It has been a real honour and privilege to lead Euronav as CEO. The company has progressed from a family operation with 17 vessels to the largest crude tanker company in the world with 73 vessels, listed on both Euronext and NYSE.""Having now completed in full the Gener8 merger I wish to pursue other opportunities and believe it is an appropriate time to hand over the baton of leadership of a strong and best-in-class large crude tanker business.

Saudi Arabian shipping company Bahri said that its CEO Abdullah Aldubaikhi has been appointed to the board of directors of ITOPF, the world’s largest ship owner organization providing objective advice on effective response to spills of oil, chemicals and other substances in the marine environment.With the organization’s Board including 23 CEOs of major global tanker owners and operators, ITOPF’s efforts are aimed at improving the preparedness and response to spills of cargo and/or fuel from ships around the world.Effective November 8, 2018, Aldubaikhi’s appointment will see him contribute his expertise and deep knowledge of the industry to enhance ITOPF’s governance, with an overarching objective of serving the best interests of shipowners and stakeholders worldwide.

The salvage operations of the container vessel MV SSL Kolkata that had caught fire last month, is continuing in rough weather conditions with 2- 4 metre swells. The vessel is grounded at about 8 nautical miles off the ecologically sensitive Sundarbans since the 13th of last month when its cargo area had caught fire following an explosion. All 22 crew members were   rescued by the Indian Coast Guard. The Directorate General of Shipping and its allied office, Mercantile Marine Department, Kolkata, Govt. of West Bengal, the Indian Coast Guard and various authorities have been constantly monitoring the developments as the salvage efforts continue.

Oil spill contingency planning is in the spotlight at an IMO regional workshop in Pulau Indah, Malaysia (2-6 July). The workshop is helping countries (ASEAN Member States: Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam and Singapore.) in South East Asia become more familiar with the ASEAN Regional Oil Spill Contingency Plan - designed to enhance cooperation between States. Participants are reviewing a number of aspects of the plan and exercising its communication procedures. IMO has long supported regional cooperation and capacity building in oil spill preparedness and response, including through a joint project with the oil and gas industry – the Global Initiative project for South East Asia (GI SEA).

With the rise in transport by sea of chemicals and gases, in bulk and containerized, adequate preparedness for response to potential spill incidents involving hazardous and noxious substances (HNS) is increasingly important. The Regional Marine Pollution Emergency Response Centre for the Mediterranean Sea (REMPEC) is hosting a regional workshop on response to such incidents, in Valletta, Malta (20-21 June). Regional cooperation on oil and HNS spill response and contingency planning is an efficient and cost-effective way of preparing for possible spills – through the sharing of information, knowledge and/or response equipment. A recent example of cooperation in this field was an agreement signed between Cyprus, Greece and Israel following support from REMPEC.

The International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation (ITOPF), which maintains a database of oil spills from tank vessels,  recorded two large spills (>700 tonnes) and four medium spills (7-700 tonnes) for 2017. The first large spill occurred in June when a tanker sank in the Indian Ocean with over 5000 tonnes of oil on board. The second incident involved a tanker which sank off the coast of Greece in September spilling about 700 tonnes of oil. Of the four medium sized spills two were recorded in January 2017 in South Asia and Southeast Asia; both resulted from collisions and involved the release of bunker fuel. A third spill was reported in East Asia in August. This also involved bunker fuel and resulted from a vessel grounding in bad weather.

A regional conference of countries in west, central and southern Africa has committed to continue to work at both national and regional levels to boost preparedness to deal with oil spill incidents which could be devastating both for the marine environment and financially. The conference (6-9 November) in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, was hosted by CIAPOL, the Ivoirian pollution control centre. It brought together industry and government focal points from 20 out of 22 west, central and southern African countries covered by the Global Initiative for West, Central and Southern Africa (GI-WACAF). This project is run by the International Maritime Organization (IMO)…

The question of how to manage emergency preparedness and response in the oil and gas sector was on the agenda at a workshop in Zanzibar, United Republic of Tanzania (17-20 October). Participants from countries across the East Africa region gathered to highlight good practices in developing national preparedness and response systems, as well as how to improve understanding of risk assessments related to oil and gas development and potential impacts on environment. The group also worked to identify areas for strengthening emergency preparedness and response at national and regional levels. International Maritime Organization (IMO)'s Colleen O’Hagan helped to facilitate the workshop and provided an overview of the Organization’s International Convention on Oil Pollution Preparedness…

Norway has become the first country to become a contracting state to a key compensation treaty covering the transport of hazardous and noxious substances (HNS) by ship. The International Convention on Liability and Compensation for Damage in Connection with the Carriage of Hazardous and Noxious Substances by Sea, 2010 (2010 HNS Convention), when in force, will provide a regime of liability and compensation for damage caused by HNS cargoes transported by sea, complementing existing regimes already in force for the transport of oil as cargo…

The story of how that incident served as a catalyst for positive change is told in a new exhibition which was launched on Monday (16 January) at the headquarters of the IMO, the United Nations agency with responsibility for the safety and security of international shipping and the prevention of pollution from ships. A series of panels chart the collaborative work which has resulted today in a comprehensive regulatory framework, a demonstrably improved shipping industry, good systems of preparedness and response and adequate compensation for those affected by spills. Demand for oil remains strong and shipping remains the most effective means of meeting that demand.

The 50 years since the grounding of the tanker Torrey Canyon in 1967 have seen dramatic and sustained reduction in major oil spills from ships, thanks to cooperation between Governments and industry. The story of how that incident served as a catalyst for positive change is told in a new exhibition which was launched on Monday (16 January) at the headquarters of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the United Nations agency with responsibility for the safety and security of international shipping and the prevention of pollution from ships. A series of panels chart the collaborative work which has resulted today in a comprehensive regulatory framework…

Thordon Bearings has developed a bespoke modeling tool capable of calculating the amount of operational oil prevented from leaking into the world’s oceans with each installation of a seawater-lubricated propeller shaft bearing. To be launched officially on April 22 to coincide with Earth Day 2016, the world’s largest environmental movement, now in its 46th year, the Oil Savings Calculator shows that more than 60 million liters of oil pollution has been saved to date. “In our opinion the only acceptable propeller shaft stern tube oil leakage is zero.” said Terry McGowan, President & CEO Thordon Bearings. “Thanks to those vessels that have already installed seawater-lubricated propeller shaft bearings…

The International Spill Control Organization (ISCO) and BIMCO are working together to develop a standard contract for spill response services. The contract is expected to be published by the end of the year. The Spill Response Services and Equipment Contract is designed for situations where a spill incident occurs and the shipowner or other stakeholder (the “requesting party”) needs to contract for clean-up services, counter pollution measures, and hire of equipment. Terms and conditions are set out in standard clauses with accompanying annexes for parties to insert detailed descriptions of the required services and rates for personnel and equipment. Emergency situations require a prompt response.

A meeting to update South Asia’s regional plan for oil and chemical pollution preparedness and response is underway in Male, Maldives (22-25 August), informs  International Maritime Organization (IMO). Senior officials from Bangladesh, India, Maldives, Pakistan and Sri Lanka are sharing their national experiences and consolidating updates to the plan with a view to finalizing it. The event includes a regional training workshop on hazardous and noxious substance (HNS) spills preparedness and response. Moving forward, the participants will also identify future training needs and develop a three-year training programme to enhance the region’s spill preparedness and response capacity.

The ISCO-BIMCO spill response contract was well received at the ACI Maritime Salvage and Casualty Response Conference that took place in London last week. The contract is still under development, but is expected to be published towards the end of this year. Grant Hunter, BIMCO’s Chief Officer Legal and Contractual Affairs, who spoke at the conference said:“There was an encouraging level of interest from the conference participants in the new spill contract and its aims and objectives. It seems that people appreciate what ISCO and BIMCO are trying to achieve by working together to develop a contractual solution to improve efficiencies in sourcing and hiring services and equipment for spill response work on a global basis”.

Following the success of the inaugural Asian Marine Casualty Forum (AMCF) in 2015 and by popular demand, the bi-annual industry forum aimed at addressing the current crises in maritime casualty management, is back for the second time running and officially launched in Singapore today. The much welcomed not-for–profit event with its“arranged by the industry for the industry” feature remains and already, sponsorship response has been well beyond expectations. LOC Group (LOC), the leading international maritime consultancy group, will once again be hosting the forum, a cornerstone event of the forthcoming Singapore Maritime Week (22-28 April 2017) – which gathers the international maritime community in Singapore for a week-long of conferences…