Vapour Recovery and Green Bunkering
Around half of Sweden's oil imports pass through the Port of Gothenburg. During loading and discharging oil, gases can escape from the fuel in the tanks and pipelines. These gases are taken care of by gas recycling facilities, where the gases condense to a liquid state and go back into the product stream.
Thanks to these investments, emissions of these gases, which contain volatile organic substances, can be reduced substantially, from 300 tonnes to around 25 tonnes per year. This means a substantial reduction in environmental impact and reduced smells in the area near the port. It is also good for the working environment, affecting everyone working at the quayside and on vessels at berth.
The Port of Gothenburg is one of the largest bunkering ports in the Nordic Region. Each year, between 1.5 and 2 million tonnes of fuel are supplied to vessels passing through or calling at the port. To reduce the risks when these vessels are being refuelled, the Port of Gothenburg employs what is termed Green Bunkering.
Green Bunkering means that all bunker operators attend a special training programme, have equipment to deal with oil spills and carry out regular inspections of the hoses. The port's rules for Green Bunkering have been shown to radically reduce the risk of oil spills.
The Port of Gothenburg, together with the Swedish Shipowners' Association and representatives from the bunkering sector, has drafted a proposal to the government to introduce Green Bunkering throughout the whole of Sweden.
The proposal will be presented to the Swedish Transport Agency, which has been commissioned by the government to produce standardised rules for bunkering.
Last changed 02/20/2013