On December 8, 2023, the container ship Maersk Toconao lost six containers while sailing off Viana de Castelo, along the coast of Portugal. One of these containers was loaded with a thousand 25-kilogram bags of plastic pellets – totaling about 25 tons – and strong currents pushed it towards the Galician Rías Baixas, in Spain. On December 13, the content of numerous bags – which had broken in the meantime – was seen on the shores of the Corrubedo Dunes Complex in Ribeira, and in other parts of the Muros-Noia estuary.
This incident prompted the IMO to issue in February 2024 some recommendations and guidelines on the maritime transport of plastic granules. The recommendations cover three actions. The first is to pack the granules in good quality packaging that is sufficiently sturdy to withstand impacts and loads normally encountered during transport. The packaging should be constructed and sealed to prevent any loss of content that could occur under normal transport conditions, due to forces of vibration or acceleration.
The second recommendation concerns transport information, which must clearly identify those containers containing plastic granules. Moreover, the sender should supplement the cargo information with a request for appropriate stowage. The third pertains to the containers themselves, which should be properly stowed and secured to minimize risks to the marine environment without compromising the safety of the ship and people on board. Specifically, they should be stowed below deck, when reasonably practicable, or aboard in sheltered areas of exposed decks.
These recommendations, aimed at preventing a spill of granules, will be submitted for urgent consideration and approval to the Marine Environment Protection Committee at its next meeting in March 2024 (MEPC 81). The document also includes some guidelines on possible spills, covering emergency planning, response, monitoring, and post-spill analysis, and cost recovery. These will be updated as the sector gains more experience with their application. These guidelines will be submitted to the MEPC in October 2024.
Other key topics discussed at the meeting held from February 19 to 23 (PPR 11) include the impact of Carbon Black emissions on the Arctic environment, guidelines on in-water cleaning to support the implementation of the 2023 Biofouling Guidelines, the discharge of water from exhaust gas cleaning systems, improving the life performance of wastewater treatment plants, and the reporting of lost fishing gear.
