Padmesh Prabhune –
Norwegian authorities for the first time have fined a shipping company and the master of a cargo vessel for having heavy fuel oil aboard the vessel in the Svalbard region: the Norwegian archipelago between mainland Norway and the North Pole.
According to Governor Lars Fause, inspectors from the Norwegian Maritime Directorate discovered the fuel aboard the cargo ship during an inspection on June 6. The ban was effective on January 1, 2022, but it provided a two-year extension for cargo ships traveling to or from Longyearbyen and Barentsburg until 2024.
The governor mentioned in reports that the vessel, Arklow Wind (16,800 dwt) that arrived from Poland to load coal, was found in violation of the Svalbard Environment Act of 2022 which seeks to prevent dangers from oil spills into the environmentally sensitive regions of the Arctic.
Svalbard, one of the world’s northernmost inhabited areas, is an environmental protection zone that is popular with tourists. The 2022 act however was not for emissions but instead focused on the potential of oil spills into the waters.
Ships sailing to Svalbard are only permitted to have marine gas oil or similar lighter-weight viscosity fuel aboard. They cannot use or have aboard HFO (Heavy Fuel Oil) due to the dangers of an accidental spill. The regulation notes the danger to the environment and the difficulties in containing and retrieving oil spills.
According to reports a fine of approximately $93,000 was imposed on the shipping company. They also fined the master of the vessel a further $2,800.
However, the shipping company has not accepted the fine but agreed to post a guarantee for the amount. After the guarantee was provided, the local authorities permitted the cargo ship to depart on June 12. She is reportedly bound for the UK.
A hearing has been scheduled for the district court in early October this year. Marex Media