News item | 7/15/2023 | 20:36
The Dutch salvage company Boskalis/SMIT Salvage has sailed to Yemen to empty the Safer oil tanker there. That ship is on the verge of collapsing, possibly resulting in an environmental disaster of gigantic proportions. The Netherlands is making a financial contribution to the disposal, which will be coordinated by the United Nations.
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As early as March 2022, Liesje Schreinemacher, Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation, announced the Dutch contribution of €7.5 million to the project. That amount has now risen to €15 million. ‘Normally, as a minister, I am concerned with the consequences of a disaster. Now we can avoid disaster. The Safer is a ticking time bomb. Quick action is needed. It is special that so many countries have already pledged financial support. Partly due to our contribution, we now arrive at the amount required to start the salvage operation. The condition is that all other parties keep their promises. The Netherlands wants to help the UN to start the operation as soon as possible,’ she said at the time.
Supertanker
But what exactly is going on? The Safer is a more than forty-year-old ‘supertanker’ that floats about 8 kilometers off the coast of Yemen with large quantities of oil on board. Due to long-term overdue maintenance, the ship is in a questionable condition, creating a high risk of leaks, fire or even an explosion. Large amounts of oil could end up in the Red Sea if no action is taken.
The potential consequences of such an oil spill can hardly be foreseen for the environment, shipping and hundreds of thousands of people who depend on small-scale fishing. The UN estimates that it will cost more than $20 billion to clean up and that it would take 25 years for the fish population in the area to recover from such an ecological catastrophe. All these consequences together entail a major humanitarian risk for a country that is already struggling with food shortages. The UN is therefore committed to swift action. It does this with various countries, including the Netherlands.
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Boskalis/SMIT Salvage, which specializes in dredging and maritime services, is responsible for securing the oil and salvaging the Safer. The company has been preparing for the salvage for about two years, without having taken a step aboard the ship. And that is unique, says CEO Peter Berdowski. ‘Normally, during salvage operations, we can get a picture of the situation on board in just a few days, or sometimes even hours.’ This time it’s different. “We do a lot of salvage operations around the world, and it’s not often we come across a ship in worse shape than the Safer,” explains Berdowski.
Ticking time bomb
Like Minister Schreinemacher, he also characterizes the ship as a ticking time bomb. “There are 1.1 million barrels of oil on board and oxygen has been found in all these storage tanks. That can lead to a huge explosion. The questionable state of this ship should not be underestimated.’
Boskalis therefore proceeds thoughtfully, says Berdowski. ‘It is again and again a piece of risk management. Will we get our own ship safely next to the Safer? Is the tanker wall stable enough to start pumping? What condition does the oil come out of the tanker in? We really don’t know until the pumping starts.’
The degree of difficulty of the operation is underlined by Peter-Derrek Hof, ambassador in Yemen on behalf of the Netherlands. “This salvage is extremely difficult. There are political issues behind it, it is technically challenging and there is of course also the financial side of the matter. The Netherlands is taking its responsibility in this regard, has made the prevention of a natural disaster in the Red Sea a priority and is the second largest donor to the salvage operation.’
How is the Safer doing now?
Now that Boskalis has the final green light, all the oil is pumped into a specially equipped tanker, after which the Safer can be safely cleaned and towed away. What will happen to the oil next remains uncertain. Due to the contributions and interests of various countries, decisions have yet to be made about this. But everyone agrees on one thing: first, pumping out the Safer as quickly and safely as possible must prevent a humanitarian and ecological disaster of gigantic proportions.