The Dubai Maritime City Authority (DMCA) has announced the approval of Danish company 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 UAE’s efforts to manage maritime operations based on the highest standards of maritime safety. 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. “
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.
A privilege indeed
“On behalf of Monjasa , I am thankful for the trust and confidence demonstrated by the Dubai Maritime City Authority and the entire city of Dubai. Being able to offer our assistance in developing an even stronger oil spill response in Dubai Waters is indeed a privilege,” says Mikkel Jacobsen, Managing Director, Monjasa Middle East & Africa.
“In our view, the combination of bunker tankers and oil spill response plans seems logical, as our vessels are always within close reach and ready to act. Already, Monjasa’s commitment to health, safety, environment and quality makes us part of an exclusive club of HSEQ certified marine fuel suppliers,” he said.