New generation skimmer systems for coastal oil spill response

SeaHow operates one of northern Europe’s largest fleets of oil spill response (OSR) vessels. Over the 30 years that SeaHow has carried out OSR work, it has found several challenges with existing equipment. As a result of three years of product development, SeaHow now launches its own product line of skimmers, addressing the key challenges OSR organisations face today.

Efficient utilisation of existing workboats and vessels in oil spill response

SeaHow skimmer product line consists of different sizes of skimmers suitable to vessels from 6m long to the largest vessels used in offshore OSR. Skimmers are easy to deploy and operate, making it possible to turn virtually any workboat or larger vessel into an OSR vessel in case of an accident.

“Most of the funds available for OSR equipment acquisition is today used for purchasing vessels, leaving little money for the OSR equipment itself”, says Jari Partanen, CEO of SeaHow. “By using SeaHow skimmers you can utilise your existing vessel fleet and direct the investment funding to the OSR equipment itself.”

Collection of all oil types with same equipment

Currently most of the OSR equipment operated by OSR preparedness organisations only can collect heavy oil qualities. The EU Sulphur Directive, implemented from 1.1.2015 increases the use of light oils as vessel fuel in Northern Europe significantly. This puts a high pressure on organisations to update their OSR equipment. The new SeaHow products are among the first skimmer products that can truly collect both light and heavy oils efficiently.

“The capacity tests carried out by Lloyd’s Register not only show that the light oil collection capacity of the skimmers is excellent, states Hannu Hoviniemi, Director of SeaHow Business Development, “but also shows an incredibly high efficiency. When collecting light oil from water surface, over 90% of the collected liquid is oil.”

Adapted from press release by Cecilia Rehn

Read the article online at: https://www.oilfieldtechnology.com/offshore-and-subsea/23032015/new-generation-skimmer-systems-for-coastal-oil-spill-response/