Baltic Chemical Tanker
Through the John Nurminen Foundation’s and Coalition Clean Baltic’s joint Baltic Chemical Tanker Project, we are reducing the discharge of hazardous substances into the Baltic Sea along with washing water from chemical tankers. At the start of the project, we drew up a risk assessment used to identify the most hazardous chemical emissions associated with the discharge of tank washing water from chemical tankers unloading their cargo at every Baltic Sea port that handles chemicals. We are collaborating with chemical industry companies, ports and shipping companies to find and implement solutions for reducing the discharge of hazardous substances into the Baltic Sea.
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The Baltic Sea is one of the busiest maritime areas in the world with around 2,000 cargo vessels sailing its waters at any given time. Chemical tankers carrying raw materials and products for the chemical industry sail the Baltic Sea daily. Maritime environmental regulation is considerably more lenient than the regulation of shore-side activities. According to existing legislation, chemical tankers may wash their tanks offshore, which means that chemical residue from the tanks ends up in the sea with the washing water.
The Baltic Sea is a shallow area with slow water exchange. As a result, hazardous substances remain in the Baltic Sea for a long time and can accumulate in ecosystems. The Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission (HELCOM) has evaluated hazardous substances to be one of the greatest threats to the Baltic Sea marine ecosystem alongside eutrophication.
On vessels carrying liquid bulk cargoes, such as chemicals, it is often standard practice to wash the cargo tanks with seawater after unloading, while en route to the next loading port. Tank washing can cause hundreds of litres of harmful and hazardous chemicals to be discharged into the sea at one time. International legislation permits the discharge of washing water containing chemicals into the sea if the ship is at least 12 nautical miles (approx. 22km) from the nearest land and the sea is at least 25 metres deep.
Identifying the most harmful and hazardous chemicals
The John Nurminen Foundation’s Chemical Tanker Project (2022-2025) produced the first risk assessment of hazardous substances at Finnish ports, and investigation work was initiated in Sweden. Corresponding risk assessments are now being carried out at ports in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Germany and Denmark.
The risk assessment investigates which hazardous and harmful chemicals are unloaded at ports and evaluates how many of these chemicals could end up in the sea along with tank washing water. The high-risk chemicals that pose the greatest danger to the marine environment are identified based on emission quantities and chemical hazards, and the project is based on reducing these chemicals.
Collaborating with chemical industry companies to cut emissions by half
Most chemical industry companies were prepared to process tank washing water on shore once they were made aware of how harmful the emissions are to the Baltic Sea. Our Chemical Tanker Project achieved good results.
We’re now scaling the good practice to other Baltic Sea coastal states. The Baltic Chemical Tanker project aims to halve the emission of identified high–risk chemicals through voluntary collaboration with companies. We are increasing awareness of transport chain emissions among chemical industry companies and supporting companies to process tank washing water on shore.
Together with companies, we are working to find the best practices for the shore-side processing of tank washing water. In most cases, cargo residues can be recovered from tank washing water and utilised in processes to save valuable raw materials.
Stricter legislation could stop the discharge of washing water entirely
Putting a complete stop to the discharge of hazardous tank washing water in the Baltic Sea requires international maritime environment regulation to be stricter. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has classed the Baltic Sea as a PSSA, or Particularly Sensitive Sea Area.) Other sea areas classed as particularly sensitive include the Great Barrier Reef, the Galapagos Islands, and the northwestern Mediterranean Sea. More detailed restrictions on discharging can be set in sea areas classed as particularly sensitive, but the discharge of tank washing water by chemical tankers is not currently restricted even in sensitive sea areas.
Tank washing is also permitted in marine protected areas. According to a study by the Swedish Coast Guard, ships regularly wash their tanks south of Gotland in the extensive Natura2000 conservation area, which is an important overwintering area for long-tailed ducks and eiders. The study also identified several illegal tank-washing incidents involving the discharge of washing water too close to the shore or the discharge of washing water that exceeded the permitted limits of cargo residues.
We advocate internationally to prohibit harmful tank washing in the Baltic Sea via the Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission HELCOM, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the European Union. Our advocacy work is carried out in collaboration with authorities and environmental organisations in other coastal states and with the EU’s Baltic Sea strategy coordinators.
The project implements a measure in HELCOM’s Baltic Sea Action Plan aimed at identifying and reducing harmful chemical discharges from shipping.
The project is supported by the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region Policy Area ‘Ship’, as it has been recognised to align well with its objectives and actions which aim to decrease emissions, support research and in particular development of shore-side facilities to enable sustainable shipping practices.
The project is funded by NEFCO’s (the Nordic Green Bank) Baltic Sea Action Plan (BSAP) fund.
