Ship sludge disposal – ‘Dilution is not the solution to pollution’
Maritime waste, ship sludge or ‘waste ship-oil sludge’ (WSOS) as it is called is one of the environmental concerns Envorem is tackling as part of the company’s quest to decarbonise oil production and its waste products. Our founders Mark Batt-Rawden and Mike Levey weigh in on this aspect of their revolutionary green technology.
“Have you ever taken a child to the beach and you step into a rock pool only to find a deposit of sticky black oil?” Mike Levey asks. “This is quite commonplace and the result of ship sludge disposal at sea. It’s a very real problem that underscores the truth of the saying, ‘Dilution is not the solution to pollution’.”
This is one of the values of the UK Environment Agency. See their guidance to ‘Prevent pollution and reduce harmful emissions at sea’. (How the maritime industry should treat waste at sea and in ports, reduce oil and air pollution, and control ozone-depleting substances.)
Envorem and ship sludge
Ship sludge is produced by on-board equipment that cleans the heavy oil burnt by ships as fuel. A large ship can produce around 4 tonnes per day of sailing.
“Envorem has taken a lead in reducing maritime emissions,” says Mark Batt-Rawden. “80% of the oil pollution in the ocean is caused by illegal dumping from ships. This will have a huge impact on preserving ‘Life Below Water’ which is one of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We must stop it”.
Envorem has an oily sludge remediation system that can treat huge quantities of sludges from oil production, however the same technology operating at smaller scale, can be used to process maritime waste providing cost-effective and greener ways of dealing with this challenge.
“Respectable shipping companies will store ship sludge in tanks that are offloaded on arrival at a harbour,” Mike explains. “This is then transferred to processing units at significant cost. What if the sludge could be processed on board or in port? Imagine the savings on transport as well as the opportunity to decrease the carbon footprint…
“Furthermore, what if the fuel could be recovered and reused? Such a system would pay for itself many times over. And this is exactly what Envorem can accomplish.”
The Envorem Martime Project has miniaturised the company’s ground-breaking technology to recycle ship sludge on board or in port as opposed to it being dumped, while giving fuel back for reuse.
Envorem has been funded by Innovate UK to develop its maritime services and works in conjunction with the University of Brighton and Liverpool John Moores University who have strong links to Liverpool docks.
“Ship sludge / sediments are supposed to be brought back to shore for safe disposal, but because this is expensive they often find themselves into the sea,” Mark explains. “We applied to Innovate UK for funding to miniaturise our technology so it can fit onto a ship, returning the fuel oil back to the fuel tanks. It provides the ship operators with an incentive not to dump these sludges, because we are turning them back into valuable fuel.
“The University of Brighton has helped us model our processing and software and Liverpool John Moores University has undertaken market analysis of UK ports to see how ship sludge is handled and this can be done in a more environmentally responsible way,” says Mark.
Profitable ship sludge disposal
Mike Levey explains further how Envorem technology reduces operational costs of remediating oily sludge or ship sludge disposal. “Our system offers an effective solution to pollution that removes the need for dilution – it also adds value and creates profit.
“It’s a ‘no brainer’ therefore to employ our technology. And it doesn't matter whether you are an oil company or a marine operator. Though the industries are different, the process is exactly the same with identical benefits – installing our system reduces environmental impact, while increasing financial savings.”
So how does Envorem help protect the environment regarding maritime emissions specifically?
“There are various options for marine operators,” Mike concludes. “It could be a mobile system on a ship or on the barges that are used to refuel ships. Or it could be a fixed facility in port to remediate ship sludge. This is all part of Envorem’s vision to have a fleet of clean-up plants, starting with the Middle East but rolling out internationally. If you look at satellite images of the globe you'll see vast numbers of lagoons all over the place. We have the solution to both oily sludge lagoons and ship sludge pollution. We therefore want to engage with oil producers and marine operators in constructive ways because there is much value to extracted from both types of waste presenting a win-win opportunity for them and for the environment.”
Mark Batt-Rawden concludes: “We have now applied to Innovate-UK for a follow-on grant to construct a prototype system for live trials in the Port of Liverpool and on the ships of some supportive ferry operators. We hope to secure the funds but unfortunately obtaining Innovate UK funding is still very much of a lottery.”
See Envorem News Interview with Mike Levey: Environmental Clean-Up can be Profitable.
