The Dubai Maritime City Authority (DMCA) announce the approval of Monjasa as the dedicated Oil Spill Responder (OSR) for Tier 2 and 3 spills in Dubai’s anchorages and offshore waters. As the dedicated OSR for Dubai, Monjasa is committed to keeping a vessel on standby 24/7 for immediate response to major offshore spills. Additionally, Monjasa will be on call to support port spill response and incidences of major spills in other emirates.
The OSR contracted services will be implemented over the next six months. This is another public-private partnership developed in consultation with Dubai’s bunker and STS services provider including Shell, FenderCare, and SPT.
The OSR ship has a storage capacity of 3,000 tons and is to be outfitted with high capacity collection oil skimmers, large open ocean pneumatic containment booms, and an additional 20,000 tons of back-up storage.
Amer Ali, Executive Director, Dubai Maritime City Authority, said: “We are delighted to sign an agreement with a leading international company such as Monjasa to promote effective and immediate response to oil spills within Dubai’s regional waters. This step is of great importance as it supports the DMCA’s and the U.A.E.’s efforts to manage maritime operations based on the highest standards of maritime safety. This is also a proven model for response and in line with global best management practices, and relevant local and international regulations. The Public Private Partnership is a proactive approach to the risks posed by shipping and will complement the efforts of both Dubai and the U.A.E. to protect the maritime sector and promote sustainable maritime economic development in Dubai.” Ali added: “We are committed to establishing effective regional and international partnerships to align Dubai’s policies, systems and procedures with best international practices. We are confident that the new agreement with Monjasa will greatly contribute to our efforts to offer the highest levels of maritime safety and environment security through effective response to potential offshore oil spills. We look forward to continuing our fruitful cooperation with leading regional and international partners in line with our objective to promote the competitiveness of the local maritime cluster components and build an integrated, secure and safe maritime environment. We also strive to make the local maritime sector capable of responding effectively to the rapid changes and emerging market trends by attracting foreign investors to help position Dubai as one of the world’s best maritime destinations.” Presentations have been made to local and federal officials as the ship will be available to be integrated into the formal command structure to protect Dubai and the other emirates.
The OSR is a not-for-profit subsidiary of Monjasa and is established solely to mitigate damages to the environment in the event of a major oil spill. The ship will also respond swiftly to vessels in need of rapid cargo transfers due to accidents and damage.
Source : WAM News Agency for United Arab Emirates
