EMEA News
Gibraltar Bunkering Plans Under Fire from Green Group
Gibraltar's Environmental Safety Group (ESG) warns that bunkering operations planned by the government could lead to a major oil spill, fire, or explosion in an area that is home to military berths and nuclear submarines, as well as existing storage tanks, the Gibraltar Chronicle reports.
The government plans to bring bunkering operations onshore at the breakwater known as Detached Mole and install storage facilities including gas storage for a new power station.
The Vemoil tanker Vemaspirit was recently moved from anchor in the Bay of Gibraltar to berth near Detached Mole.
The ESG said routine bunkering operations are likely to lead to an increase in small oil spills in a harbour basin that contains intakes to Gibraltar's desalination plant.
"The ESG has always advocated on-shore bunkering but this is not it," the group said in a statement.
"This is the worst of all scenarios where the bunkering industry is not brought onshore but the ship-to-ship oil transfers are brought port side within the harbour area.
"There will be an inevitable increase in nauseating smells from bunker fumes as a result of the air displacement of fuel tanks in the tanker as well as the bunkering barges as these are filled and emptied leading to a deterioration of our air quality standards and to the quality of life of Gibraltar residents."
