More than half of the tankers of the «shadow fleet» are in critical condition and threaten a large-scale environmental disaster. This was stated with concern by representatives of the Center for Transport Safety. They were supported by researchers from the Center for Maritime Safety of the University of Glasgow
According to them, sooner or later a major oil spill accident will occur, comparable to the disaster of 1979, when the collision of two tankers led to the spill of more than 2 million barrels of oil. According to him, at least a third of the «shadow» tankers must be disposed of immediately, and in reality more than half are under threat.
The «shadow fleet» has about 1,800 ships, of which about 1,500 are oil tankers. Most of them are older than 20 years, it is at this age that cargo ships usually go for scrap. After that, outdated systems and corrosion from years at sea threaten their seaworthiness. The industry warns that such vessels are often uninsured, poorly maintained and operated by less qualified crews.
Experts are calling for a tougher crackdown on shadow fleet tankers, including including a technical assessment for new sanctions. Researchers are also calling for more offshore inspections of oil tankers passing through European waters.
