The rusting oil tanker FSO Safer has been anchored off the coast of Yemen in the Red Sea since 2015 and is in danger of breaking up. A massive oil spill would result. Dutch specialists should now store the 1.1 million barrels (almost 175 million litres) of oil on board. The experts left Rotterdam on Friday.
The 48-year-old ship has been anchored off the port of Hodeidah since 2015, about 60 kilometers from populated areas in the civil war country. The disintegration of the fragile ecosystem and coastal communities could have devastating environmental and humanitarian consequences. The oil spill could destroy the habitat of fish, turtles and whales.
The Boskalis company has salvaged the oil tanker FSO Safer on behalf of the United Nations. “After a long preparation period, our disposal experts are now ready to get to work and extract the oil from the Safer,” said Boskalis boss Peter Berdowski.
Tanker being towed to shipyard
According to the company, the specialists from Boskalis subsidiary Smit Salvage will reach the ship in about three weeks. Then it must first be examined in detail and hazardous gases must also be removed from the tanks. Only then can the oil be pumped into another, safer tanker. The FSO Safer is then towed to a shipyard.
The nearly 48-year-old FSO Safer is a floating oil storage facility, a so-called Floating Storage and Offloading Terminal (FSO for short). It is located about nine kilometers off the coast of Yemen in the Red Sea.
Ship has not been maintained since 2015
Due to the civil war in Yemen, the 350-meter ship has not had any maintenance since 2015. According to experts, the condition is so bad that there is a risk of major leaks due to rust. In addition, the accumulated gases in the tanks can explode and cause a major fire. This would have catastrophic consequences for the region’s environment and economy.
Funds raised at donor conference
Last year, the UN and the Netherlands collected money for the operation at a donor conference. According to the United Nations, 29 million (almost 26.5 million euros) is still missing from the total costs of about 144 million dollars (about 131 million euros).
Source: Krone
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