Opinions

The Black Sea Spill May Stir HFO Ban

 

The huge fuel oil spill in Russia has attracted more attention from NGOs and the International Maritime Organisation, potentially pushing the implementation of a ban in the Arctic

Liquidation of the fuel oil spill in the Black Sea
Credit: Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of the Russian Federation

Russia produces over 40 million tonnes of fuel oil annually, of which about 80 per cent is exported and the rest is for domestic consumption. The ecological disaster in the Kerch Strait that occurred on December 15, 2024, will have negative consequences for the marine flora and fauna of the Black Sea.

The Arctic Century previously featured news dedicated to the biological method for cleaning the spill proposed by Murmansk scientists, aimed at tackling the residual amounts of oil after mechanical cleanup. The overall situation continues to develop and has even prompted a parliamentary investigation.

The ecological tragedy has generated a response from NGOs, including the Clean Arctic Alliance and the European Wilderness Society. The former reacted by calling to action:

The Clean Arctic Alliance is repeating calls to immediately prohibit the use and carriage of heavy fuel oil (HFO) in the Arctic. We are dismayed about the impact of the recent heavy fuel oil tanker accident in the Kerch Strait and caution that this scenario – the use of antiquated vessels to transport heavy fuel oil during stormy conditions – is an indicator of what could easily unfold in the Arctic.

—Dr. Sian Prior, Lead Advisor, Clean Arctic Alliance

According to the Wilderness Society, the catastrophe "highlights the urgent need for stricter regulations on hazardous cargo transportation, improved emergency response protocols, and the adoption of modern technologies for cleaning marine environments."

As a reaction to NGOs' messages, media also express an opinion that the spill 'sparks calls for fully implementing the IMO’s Arctic fuel oil ban'. The organisation itself had hosted a 12th session (27-29 January) of the Sub-Committee on Pollution Prevention and Response.

Although the IMO's website does not specify that there was a dedicated discussion of this question, there were signs that among the key issues there was a discussion on 'black carbon emissions from ships in the Arctic and the development of marine fuel requirements for Arctic waters and the Antarctic region investigation', which reminds us of the HFO issue.

The main issue with the current state of the HFO ban is that it will be fully introduced only in 2029, as it currently only covers 16 per cent of ship fuel and 30 per cent of transported oil. To trace the details of the controversy surrounding this issue, read our previous materials:

The Editorial Board of the Arctic Century

30.01.2025